Je m'en Fous
by Striped-Tie
Summary: Falling in love - It's a hard thing, especially when you're already taken. Jill can't shake her feelings for Chris, but with STARS being like family, it's hard to manage. T for swearing and a lot of immature sex jokes. ChrisxJill BillyxBecca ClairexSteve
1. Hey Boy

A/N;

You know, I have no idea what this is XD I just decided, at 3:20am, while lying in bed thinking about half the shit me and my friends joke about. And my mind came up with one sentence I wanted Jill to say to Rebecca and it was sealed.

So basically this whole story is putting together all the little jokes and idea Toshyii, Shin and I have come up with. And all the other little things that have happened with little people. And… Something else that I refuse to mention. I don't know whether this is meant to be Humour, Drama or Romance o_o; It's DEFIANTELY Humour, c'mon. There's a bit of drama, but I don't know if it's romance _

For some strange reason Jill and Chris' relationship always comes to my mind when I listen to 'One Week', that song by Bare Naked Ladies. I guess I just see it more light hearted than most people like to. Cause if they aren't lovers, they're best friends in my books XD 'I have a history of losing my shirt' :'D

And Yes – Jill has long hair in this. … Currently. I have a slight plan of her cutting it.

So, commence? I don't own Resident Evil. Cause Disclaimers always have to be there.

'Hey boy' lyrics belong to Blog 27.

* * *

**Hey Boy**

_**Hey boy get your ass up, Move boy, We put the clock on you boy.  
**__**You can't miss my friend, You get knocked down, Get up again.**_

Jill bit her bottom lip.

The STARS members were like family. Barry was life a father, Wesker resembled the creepy as fuck uncle, Rebecca could only be described as the baby sister, and the rest were like brothers. This made her current desire incest.

Being the good justice policewoman and firm believer in global norms of taboo, she wasn't going to admit to any of her 'family' that she wouldn't mind screwing one of her 'brothers'. Not in the open, at least. Of course, it didn't make her want Chris any less. Fuck Morales!

Her eyes shifted to the desk she was in front of. She looked at the frame that sat next to her paperwork. A picture of her boyfriend in it. To her surprise, she didn't feel near as guilty as she had been over the past few months. It's not like he was ever here anymore. When she was home he was out on trips, and when he was home she was on missions – There was no point to meet at. Come to think of it, she hadn't actually seen her boyfriend for some time, now. But she'd seen her quite dashing brother, a lot. She was taking a lot more notice of him.

It would probably be best to quit referring to Chris as brother now, because at this rate she'd call Barry dad, which was no better than calling your teacher in primary school mum.

She put a hand on the frame, and gently tipped it down, the photo facing the bottom of her desk. It felt like the photo itself was judging her, and frankly she wasn't in the mood for it. It was like a long distance relationship while they were meant to be sleeping in the same bed. Hell, she hadn't gotten any for months, something was very wrong with this picture.

She moved her chair, looking about the room. Most of STARS was sitting doing paperwork, or checking their weapons. Richard was sitting on a chair in front of two large cardboard boxes – His desk had been destroyed last week when Forest and Joseph were messing around. They came out of it with a few large splinters, maybe some internal bleeding, but the desk wasn't so lucky. A few of the desks were vacant.

Joseph, Chris, Forest and Brad all crowded around one of the desks, looking up at a clock. They seemed quite absorbed with it, and at the front of the room Wesker was shooting them death glares, as he did each week.

Today's Tuesday. Jill thought simply to herself. Tuesday had always been that one day…

As soon as the clock struck one, the group of men cheered and threw their arms up in the air. To anyone who wasn't in STARS, it probably would have been very surprising – But it was a ritual that had been going on since they all began working together.

Chris had opened one of the desk draws and taken out a container that was filled with slips of paper. Whilst he did that, Forest promptly took Joseph's bandana, and tied it up in a way that it kept shape.

Enrico shook his head as he watched the group. It was basically the same every week. But it never lost it's charm.

Edward took advantage of the fact that Jill was heavily distracted, staring at Chris. He moved up behind her, and swiftly grabbed her hat and dashed over to the group of men as they finished mixing the papers in Joseph's bandana, and hurried to find the other container.

Jill's hair fell back down past her shoulders, and she gave a displeased growl. It was excessively hard to get so much of her long hair in that hat. But the men were too busy still messing around to even notice her disapproving glare. She calmed down pretty soon, though.

The men brought the hat and bandana over to Barry expectantly. Barry dipped one hand into the hat and pulled out a slip, before pulling another from the bandana. He waved for the men to take some step back, before he raised his arms in the air, "Today, We have pizza!!" He announced loudly.

Most of STARS cheered. Barry paused for a moment.

"And Jill's going to go get it." He stated quickly. "The Hats of Truth have spoken!"

Both Enrico and Wesker shook their heads. Jill raised an eyebrow.

"Do we have to keep calling them that? I feel like I'm working with some sort of holy relic sitting on my head." She said, standing up and placing a hand on her hip.

Barry shook his head, "What do you want me to call them, Jill? The 'Head-Heating-Clothings-In-Which-We-Decide-Errand-Boy-And-Tuesday-Lunches-From?" Barry asked.

"Just, 'Jill's Hat' and 'Joseph's Bandana' would be fine." She answered simply, her stance relaxing.

Richard grabbed at notepad and pen from his short desk, as he had been kneeling up. He got up and handed them to Jill, who busily scribbled down on the paper a few things, mumbling some of the things under her breath. She seemed to know the orders off my heart. She seemed quite pleased that there hadn't been any new members after Rebecca. When she stopped to think about it, there would have been clashes – To hell if she was going to put on a fake smile to avoid a fight.

Wesker cleared his throat and stood up from his desk.

"Is there anything else anyone wants?" He quizzed, "We're just taking this out of Iron's Funding."

Jill waltz over to the desk, causing most of the men to flinch as she took the hat and placed it back on her head, not even bothering to get rid of the papers.

She turned, so that she could see most of the others. "Does anyone want me to pick up some containers of ice-cream, if we're having a stab at Chief Prick?" she asked.

Before she even had time to get ready to write, there were multiple calls of different flavours. Chocolate, Baileys, Strawberry. Chris seemed more than enthusiastic at the choice, and was the first to shout Coffee. Jill walked over to him casually and poked him in the stomach. He quickly pretended to be in pain from it, making whimpering sounds like a puppy.

"You can only get that if you give something up of your usual." She said teasingly, her face close to his. She had to stand on her toes due to the slight height difference. She felt more like she was teasing herself than her words were teasing Chris.

"I'd be happy to shout for Chris, I don't mind." Richard offered with a smile. Jill gave a wave of her hand, dismissing his offer.

"It's not money that's an issues," She said, "Trust me, I'm one of the first people that would love to run Iron's money into the ground."

"Then what's the problem?" Chris pouted.

Jill just continued to stare him in the eyes, "… Maybe I just want to be mean?" She answered. She lied. She was getting worried for his health.

"Hey, would it be alright if I got something?" Rebecca asked, a little sheepishly. She'd been there two or three months, but she still wasn't quite used to the whole process.

"Shoot." Jill said with a nod, looking over to her. Immediately all of the men ducked either to the ground, or under their desks. Jill turned, and placed her hands on her hips once again. "I don't even have my gun out!" She huffed, rolling her eyes.

That was the problem. Jill, from her first day at STARS, had made it clear that, excluding Wesker, and ignoring the team hierarchy, she was Alpha. And no-one had the balls (Still excluding Wesker) to say anything otherwise. That and her usually serious nature made people cautious around her. Especially when she made any references to guns. And when she had PMS. That was the real scary time. Even despite that, she always seemed to fit in as 'one of the guys', and was including in most of the talk that Rebecca was kicked out of for being a chick.

She shook her head as the men got up again, and looked back over to Rebecca, "What do you want, Sweetie?" She asked.

Rebecca gave a thankful smile, "Well everyone's getting tubs of ice-cream… Can I just get a popsicle?" She asked.

Jill gave a nod and headed for the door. She grabbed a red wagon from next to the door and gave a salute before leaving.

"You know, some times I feel bad for putting her name in the hat 50 times while everyone else is only in there 10…" Barry admitted, before getting back to checking his gun. The rest got back to their work.

* * *

Jill walked down the street, a few people tossing her glances as she dragged the toy wagon behind her. She was too deep in her own thought to notice. Her mind had gone back to her current object of affection, and to the fact that she was receiving no affection in general anymore.

She sighed to herself, "I like you, Chris." She said quietly, as it rehearsing it. She knew wording was nearly everything. People these days just blurted out 'I love you' to guys and girls alike.

She put a finger over her lip – 'I love you'. Ha. She'd said that once and now it was causing her nothing but loneliness when she went home.


	2. One Week

A/N

Bah, too much drama at the end :c But, oh well, it leads to some things. Especially the vending machine incident, that should be happening pretty soon. Which leads to some Wesker jokes. Yay.

I don't know who I'm being crueler too, Rebecca or Jill XD; It isn't the end of the Rebecca's naivety jokes. Nope. I'm getting a real kick from this O_o; Lulz kick, not pervy kick.

I don't own Resident Evil x_x;

'One Week' lyrics belong to Bare Naked Ladies.

* * *

**One Week**

_**I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve  
**__**I have a history of losing my shirt**_

The STARS office looked a little more peculiar than most other police departments would allow their offices to look. Some desks were tidy, some were messy, and one was incredibly messy, which seemed to show Mr. Redfield's personality quite well. Of course, that wasn't what made it odd. 'Tsst' worthy, but not peculiar. No no, what was strange was the fact that there were no where near enough desks to seat everyone.

It was no wonder Joseph and Forest got into brawls on occasions – They had to share a desk at the back, and they were forced to create makeshift barriers out of paperclips and staplers just to try and stay organized. The desk itself was made out of two stools turned upside down with a large plank of wood over it to serve as a table.

Brad wiggled slightly in his chair – There was no leg room, as he had to lean up against a stereo as his desk. It wasn't very wide, so he had to place most of his paper work on the floor. He always made sure there was enough space for him to keep his laptop on it, though.

It was no wonder they all seemed to hate Irons – They were barely funded when it came to this! The cheap prick! If STARS weren't so inventive, they might have been in serious trouble.

There was a small bit of chatter going on. There was some work. And some moping.

Chris was leaning in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

He had shot a man a few nights ago, under orders. A hostage situation. He never liked to take peoples lives, even if it did save 10 other in the process. It didn't stop it from hurting any less. Being the best marksman, he seemed to have the lives he had taken mounting on his conscience. Yet he managed to always smile, and look after his friends.

He closed his eyes, and reminded himself how lucky he was to have Jill has his friend – Who'd been there from the start. In honesty, he would have been lost if she wasn't so strict and stern with him, setting him straight when things went array. She always managed to mend everything. He wondered how much pressure it put on her.

He sat up straight and stretched. There was no time for moping, not at work. Some time had passed, anyway, and food should be arriving in not too long. That was something to look forward to. There was a smile on his face again.

Most of the men were looking at the clock again, watching the second hand slowly tick. As soon as it hit the 12 number, they all turned to the door. Right on cue, the door opened, Jill dragging the now severely weighed down wagon behind her. As soon as she walked in she grabbed a large box, filled with plastic containers and walked over to a freezer, which was set up as a spare desk just in case there was another desk incident. She slipped the box in, which was obviously filled with the ice-creams.

There were quite a few boxes, some pizzas, some not. She got to the center of the room and picked up the first three boxes on top, not minding the heat. Jill managed to grab about two bottles with her other hand, holding the top of course. She walked over to Joseph and Forest's desks, setting two of the boxes and drinks on the table, "One medium Mexicana and Sprite for Forest, Mushroom and Fanta for Joseph." She stated, seeming a bit monotone about it.

Both men seemed starved, so she ignored receiving no thanks and left them to it.

She headed over to Barry's desk and set the last drink and box she was holding on the desk, "Large Focaccia Prosciutto and coke for Barry." She walked back over to the wagon, while everyone else seemed content with waiting patiently. She picked up a plastic container and a bottle of water, before setting it down on Brad's stereo, "Beef Lasagna and water. We wouldn't want the chicken to be a cannibal now would we?" she asked, before walking back over again.

She picked up three more boxes and balanced a container and two drinks on it. She kneeled down at Richard's desk and put down the container, a box and a drink. "Barbonara, Diet coke and Small Ricotta & Spinach pizza for Richard." She said with a smile, especially since he gave a nod as thanks back. She headed over to Kenneth's desk, yes, an actual desk this time, and put down the last box and bottle, "And a medium Vegetarian and Water for the quiet Kenneth." Kenneth gave a sweet smile in return.

Once again she headed back, picking up three more boxes, a container and another two drinks.

She walked over to Kevin and Edward's makeshift desks, which seemed to be made out of crates. She set down two boxes and drinks, "Two medium Marinaras for the pilots, a pepsi for one and coke for the other." she announced, knowing all of it off by heart. Heaven forbid someone change their order. She headed over to the front where Wesker's desk was, and put the last things in front of him, "Small Smoked Salmon pizza, and a Chicken Schnitzel." She headed back to the wagon, taking it with her to make some of the other drop offs easier, especially since it was lighter now.

"Small Chicken for Rebecca, and a mineral water," Jill said, putting said items on the ironing board Rebecca had to use as a desk. She also places a packet next to the water – Obviously the Popsicle she had requested. Jill stopped for a moment, counting the remaining stock, Then headed over to Enrico's desk. Amazingly, there was a rare desk for Enrico. "Large American, Pesto and another coke." Jill said, putting all said orders on his desk.

She gave a quick glance at the wagon. There was still a surprising amount in there, considering few were actually left on the list... She dragged the wagon over to Chris desk, and seemed to remember the order in her mind. She took one of the last two boxes off the wagon and put it on the desk in front of him and poked his shoulder,

"Large Meatlovers Pizza, with extra mozzarella, ham, salami, hot salami, sausage, bacon, every other type of meat you can get from a pig, some parts from a cow, and some chicken." she said, managing to do it all in one breath. She knelt down and got a container off the wagon while Chris checked the box to make sure it was right. She put the container on top of the box, forcing it to close. She also put a clear one next to it.

"T-bone steak with a chips side, and a Chocolate Mousse." Chris was about to say something, but she raised her hand to shush him. She grabbed another clear container and set it down, too, "And a salad. A big salad." She stated.

Chris looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "... I don't get Salads." He said.

She gave a nod, "I know. I'm trying to think of your arteries here. You already eat like a horse. A horse crossed with a T-rex. At least try to eat something green. Oh, and you will be eating that salad. All of it, Chris Redfield." Chris gave her a pained look.

She looked at him with an expression that was rarely seen from her – A near pleading look, and it took him by surprise.

"Please, Chris?" She asked, biting her bottom lip.

He just nodded, not knowing how else to respond – It was a shock.

Jill grabbed the last box, her own, and slumped down at her desk.

She knew how often they put her name in the lucky dip, but she didn't mind – It always gave her a chance to think and clear her mind.

Now it is a well known fact that it is near impossible to eat one of those popsicles without looking suss. Some people find it fun to mind fuck with people when it comes to this. Jill was one of those people. Alas, she lacked such a Popsicle today.

But anyone could be forgiven for thinking that Rebecca was one of those people, and that she was putting in extra effort. It was hard to tell whether she was eating like a child or a porn actor, shoving a good majority of it in her mouth and just sucking it. The fact that the vanilla cream of it was melting around the edges of her mouth and trickling down her lips, then her chin, didn't help the image seem anymore child friendly.

Poor Brad was like a deer caught in headlights, staring. He didn't even see Jill coming until she had one arm around his neck, putting him into a headlock.

"Stop perving on her!" She demanded. Brad chocked out multiple apologizes and begged to breathe.

The rest of STARS quickly tried to get back eating, hiding the fact that they had been staring at Rebecca just as bad as Chickenheart had been.

Wesker hid his camcorder back in his desk.

Rebecca didn't even notice any of this. She was too busy enjoying her Popsicle. Vanilla was her favourite, and there was still the cherry swirl in the middle. Yum.

Kevin greatly considered handing her a tootsie pop and asking how many licks it took to get to the middle.

* * *

Time passed, Lunch and ice-cream was eaten, and everyone stepped out, except for Jill. She still had some work that needed to be done, and would swiftly leave once completed.

But she was tired, and once again leaned back in her chair, dozing off a bit, her body relaxing. Her mind wondered, back to the taboo subject of Chris. She smiled to herself – That taboo subject had lead to some less than pure thoughts.

She licked her lips, but paused at a strange taste.

She sat up, and moved her fingers to above her lips. Blood.

"Shit!" She cursed loudly and swerved her chair to the desk, quickly digging through things to try and find something tissue like.

She was sure that only men had nosebleeds. Oh well, this was why Rebecca was the medic, and not her. She found a tissue, thankful, and pressed it against her nose. She raised her head up to try and help, leaning back in her chair.

"Fucking Redfield…" She murmured, closing her eyes again.

However, she leaned too far in her chair this one time.

**THUD!**

Joseph had just walked in as he heard the thud, looking towards Jill's desk.

"Jill, are you alright?!" He asked. He raised an eyebrow. All he got as an answer was Jill's arm moving up, and her hand flipping him off.

At least she could blame the bleeding on the fall.

* * *

And so another day at STARS ended. Of course, they were on call, if needed, but otherwise, it was time to hall arse out of there and go to sleep at home. The night shift RPD were still there, as it was about 7 or 8 now.

Jill decided best to leave though the back door. She had parked outside that day, in the back parking lot, naturally.

Jill paused and looked to the side.

Chris sat on the pavement close to one of the streetlights that were in the parking lot, knees brought up to his chest, one arm resting over them and the other holding a lit cigarette. He was looking out, seeming to be zoning out as he smoked.

Slowly and quietly she walked over to him, and he remained unaware to it. She snuck up behind him, and gave him a tap on the shoulder, causing him to yelp. He quickly spun around to look up at her.

"What are you doing back here, Valentine?" He asked.

She crossed her arms, "Stalking you, because that's what Stalker Valentine does, Redfield." She stated and shook her head, "I parked back here, dummy."

"What's up with you, you big lug?" She asked after a few moments, "I don't see your ride back here."

He shook his head. "Just needed a cigarette after all of that." He answered. "And just some space to think."

They were quiet for a moment, looking out at the surroundings.

"Hey Jill…" Chris started, catching Jill's attention. "Do you happen to know anyone?"

Jill nearly choked on her own breath. Nooo way. He had to be kidding her.

She cleared her throat, looking away from him.

"Maybe I do." She said, "If you're not busy after work tomorrow, I'll introduce you."

Chris gave her a pat on the back and a smile.

/If she takes Chris, I swear to god I'm gonna snap her neck.../ Jill thought bitterly to herself as Chris said goodnight and left. /What about me, you damn idiot?/

* * *

Jill walked into her bedroom. It felt more like she didn't share it anymore. For the next month she'd still be the only one coming home. Damn business trips, if that's what they were.

Deep down Jill hoped that her boyfriend was cheating on her. That way, she'd have some reason to finally break it off. But for now, she just laid down on her bed, tucking under the covers and hugging herself. She was sick of the other side being empty.


	3. It Hurts

A/N;

I feel like I'm being cruel to poor Jill. And if anyone can think of anything I can make Rebecca do, please tell me xD! I think Jill might be developing some sort of anxiety problem. She really needs some affection o_o;

Resident Evil still doesn't belong to me o_o;

'It Hurts' lyrics belong to Angel and Airwaves.

* * *

**It Hurts**

_**Are you out of your mind? You dug yourself into a liar's hole.  
**__**You made a little spark to live inside, It's now a fucking fire out of control**_

"I can't believe I... I'm such an idiot..." Jill said. She rested her head against the mirror in the bathroom. She could barely sleep last night. She could see the dark rings under her eyes in the mirror, even though she had tried to hide the fact with eye shadow... She moaned, and stood up properly. She leaned on the sink. Upset with herself. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Chris... You're going to be the death of me... And I don't even know if I mind..." She said, biting her bottom lip. She refrained from saying anything more stupid.

She looked down at her clothes. She had been planning to wear something else today, but much to her dismay, she hadn't realised that she'd leant that to a friend. It was rather ironic. It was the same friend who might end up hooking up with Chris by the end of the night.

Blue strapless tube top, Black skirt, Black gloves, White jumper tied around her waist and brown knee high boots, simple enough. She still had the utility belt around her waist, and some straps over her shoulders that crossed over her back. She may have not been dressed glamourously, and she may not have been dressed conventionally for her job, but it was the best you could get from both worlds.

She took her phone out of one of her pouches on her belt. No text messages, no missed calls, no nothing. It had been like that for months, now. No contact, no anything. Maybe he had been hit by a car. She put her phone away and physically slapped herself.

/Jill Valentine, get a hold of yourself! Why the hell are you thinking of something like that?! You're meant to save people, not wish they were dead!/ She thought angrily to herself. She was sure as soon as she saw him again; it would all work out... She'd stop feeling so strongly for Chris... But that man was being one fuck of horrible boyfriend at the least. She may as well still be single. Damn, did she wish she was.

She looked in the mirror one more time, and decided against adding on anymore make-up. She wasn't the type to use any of it anyway, so she didn't know why she was bothering today. She smoothed her hair down with her hands and took a deep breath, before walking out, heading back to the office.

She told Rebecca earlier that day that she was going out with Chris that night, but didn't have a chance to go on about why. Rebecca had made an assumption, and called Jill out about liking her bro--- Chris. Rebecca saw STARS as a family, too, but she didn't find the awkwardness.

As she headed back to the office, Rebecca grabbed her arm and pulled her aside, seeming to notice Jill's unease. Rebecca gave her a warm smile and a confident thumbs up.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Chris will have his way with you tonight~!" Rebecca chirped, quietly so the others wouldn't hear. Jill managed to stop herself from laughing, making a quick snort sound because of it, and covering her mouth with one hand. Rebecca had an interesting choice of words when it came to these things. Jill smirked.

"Aw Rebecca," She began, unable to give up the chance to tease her a bit. "You cute, naïve little virgin, you!"

Rebecca pouted. Jill had been teasing her with the 'V' word for awhile now.

"You... Just wait until I lose it!" Rebecca growled defensively. For all of her smarts, and spunkiness, when it came down to it, Rebecca was still like a child when it came to relationships. She still blushed when she looked through her anatomy books. It was cute, really.

"Rebecca, hun, I won't believe you've lost it until I have proof." Jill said, then smiled slyly, "Tape it."

Rebecca flushed crimson.

"T-Tape it?!" She squeaked loudly, bringing her hands to her chest.

Wesker had looked up from his desk at this point, listening now.

"Tape it, and then show it to me." Jill repeated, "Then I'll believe you."

"Fine, I will!" Rebecca stated, crossing her arms, "You just wait!"

With that she huffed and walked back to her makeshift desk, ready to get back to work.

Jill's teasing wasn't really mean teasing. It was just a little 'sisterly' fun. Besides, Rebecca was having a better relationship than Jill was.

Rebecca's relationship with Billy Coen wasn't much of a secret. The only ones who were unaware were Enrico, Barry and Wesker. Though it was assumed Wesker was wise about it, and he just couldn't be fucked getting his hands dirty.

Jill had met Billy a few times before. Despite his clothing (or lack thereof) and appearance, he actually seemed like a nice guy. He backed off if he seemed territorial, and knew the right buttons to push to make young Rebecca happy. He didn't even expect much in return. Rebecca seemed to adore him, even if she did act tough. She had gotten quite a catch. The lucky bitch. Jill envied them greatly.

Jill walked into the room, hearing her name mentioned. Curiosity got the better of her, as it tended to, and she snuck up to the two people whom had her as their topic. It was Chris and Barry, but by the time Jill could make out the words clearly, the conversation had ended. Chris turned, not seeming to notice Jill had come up behind him. She smirked.

Once he had turned to face her, she moved up close to him. He might have been taken by surprise, but he didn't move. Jill used that opportunity to get up close and personal – pushing her body right up against his.

"So, what were you saying about me?" She asked with a cat like smile.

Chris' eyes couldn't help but wondered down slightly, no matter how many times he quickly tried to look back to Jill's eyes. That damn top she was wearing... It gave him way too good of a view.

"Nothing." He answered, trying his best to keep eye contact.

"Is that so?" She asked, pushing up harder. Chris could feel her breath on his face.

"Yep." He answered, gulping hard.

"... Mhmp." She gave ticked look, and moved off of him. He immediately felt the temperature difference without her that close. "Right, we'll see about that." She chuckled, before turning and heading back outside to fetch something she'd forgotten.

Chris stood for a couple of minutes, before looking over his shoulder, to Wesker.

"Hey Wesker, you're a pervert." Chris began, obviously not a good start. His boss looked up with an annoyed expression.

"You can get a picture of Jill's chest for me, right...?" Chris asked.

Wesker pushed his glasses closer to his face, his expression not changing. "I certainly can, Chris. But not for _you_."

Chris shrugged it off. He'd figure out a way. He pouted, "... Huh, it feels a lot colder after she moved." Chris sighed.

Forest snorted. "Your pants don't seem to feel any 'colder'." He laughed, and Chris looked down, "Looks like you might have to go have a cold shower."

Chris cursed, and headed out of the room. He had never been so thankful that the station had showers.

* * *

Jill came back some time later, after Chris had finished his shower. She bit her bottom lip as she walked in, and sat at her desk, setting to work. All the work was boring. The world was at peace. Except for her world, it seemed, which unnerved her. She glances over her shoulder at Chris, who just seemed to be messing around with bits of paperwork that had been turned into origami.

She smiled. A rare, genuine one from her. She loved his little quirks, even if they got him in trouble with Wesker. She looked back at her desk. The photo frame was back up – one of the others must have thought it had been knocked down by accident. Jill bit her lip again, before setting it down once more. She felt her heart ache.

She turned, leaning on the back of her chair, and watched Chris again, ignoring her work. He seemed oblivious, and didn't even notice while he had an origami Richard trying to shoot an origami snake. She stopped biting her lip and smiled again.

Forest and Joseph looked over, raising eyebrows at Jill. But they made no comment, going back to their little game of Uno. Come to think of it, Wesker seemed to be the only one working.

No, no, he wasn't working. He was trying to fix his camcorder.

* * *

It was Wednesday that day, the day that most of the STARS members brought in some extra treats. Sweet things, nice thing.

Rebecca sat contently on one of the desks. While the others were away, she had claimed a can of whipped cream. She seemed happy enough, with the nozzle placed between her lips, pressing down every few moments to get a mouthful of the sweet substance.

Wesker entered the room as she took in another mouthful. He didn't seem amused, stalking over. She looked up at him with her eyes, eerily reminded of how much larger he was than her.

"What are you doing?" He inquired sternly, annoyance in his voice.

"Mrph mhm, mphp..." She did her best to answer, unable to swallow. A bit of cream dripped from her lips.

He looked at her for a moment. "... Carry on." He stated, much to her relief. As she closed her eyes to relax, having tensed up from the situation, Wesker tapped the can in her hands. Caught off guard, the can slipped out from the grip of her fingers.

Wesker smiled victoriously when a lot of the white substance spilled onto Rebecca's chest, with still a bit dripping from her mouth. She looked down, distraught. Wesker pulled his pants and belt up higher, smirking at the scene.

Richard walked into the room. Richard swiftly walked out of the room.

* * *

Work came to a close, and everyone set off to where they were meant to be.

Chris felt awkward, sitting down at the table of the pub beside Jill. He was meant to be meeting her friend, Amy, who apparently had seen his photo at some point. However, some of Jill's other friends had managed to worm their way into the meeting too. It was an odd arrangement – Miki, Marie, Nicola and Joanne sat close to Amy, whom sat in the middle, while Chris and Jill pretty much sat on the opposite side of the small table. And ironically, Amy was wearing that dress.

Jill kept giving nudges and kicks to Chris when his vocabulary seemed to be failing him, and while the girls weren't looking, would whisper things to try and help him out. No-one had noticed that one of her hands was clenched into a tight fist through-out the whole thing.

Chris was trying his best to talk, and Jill could see that it didn't matter what he said, her friends seemed more interested for how he looked. It annoyed her, but she mentioned nothing.

Amy smiled at Chris flirtatiously and excused herself to go use the bathroom. The other girls started chatting, and Chris seemed puzzled as to why Jill seemed unconcerned by the fact that she was left out of it.

"Hey, don't act so worked up, okay?" Jill said to Chris quietly so the girls wouldn't hear. She put a hand on his thigh, in an attempt to comfort him, but she rubbed a bit high up, and unintentionally in not the best way. Chris blushed deeply and looked to the side, trying not to show it.

Jill noticed. But she didn't take her hand away, despite knowing that she should have – She just kept up the motion. Hey, Chris hadn't batted her hand away, and it hadn't been meant like how it must have felt.

As Amy came back and sat down, Jill felt the need to leave for a bit. "Gonna take a piss." She said, standing up. Chris laughed loudly, through tried not to as soon as he realised that the other girls simply looked at Jill in disgust. Jill couldn't help but smirk as she walked off. Yes, she had used that language because she knew it would make Chris laugh, without fail. She knew him better than they ever would, and frankly, at that point in time, she didn't care if they thought she was vulgar. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember a time when she did.

Chris watched her walk off. He hadn't taken time before to notice how nice her legs were, and how well she could shake her hips. He thanked god for letting her buy that skirt.

/... Why can't I just have her?/ He wondered to himself – feeling his mood dampen as Jill slipped through one of the doors. He was snapped back to the conversation when Amy clicked her fingers in front of Chris' face, not liking being ignored.

"So, you do the same work as Jill?" Amy asked, playing with a strand of her hair.

"Not quite…" He answered, "We're in the same team, but we cover pretty different fields. I work more as a marksman and snipe, while Jill..." He stopped to rethink is sentences. The concepts were too complicated for the girl.

The conversation carried on while Jill washed her face repeatedly in the bathroom, trying to calm herself down. Once again, she didn't know why she wanted to break down. She took the few bits of make-up she had brought with her from her pocket and put back on what she had to, trying to hide the fact once again. She paused, thinking back to how close her hand had wondered to something sensitive.

She put a hand over her stomach – Butterfly feeling. If it hadn't been a good six months she'd she slept with anyone, she'd be worried that she might have been pregnant from that feeling.

/Fucking Redfield.../ She thought to herself once again.

Soon enough it was time to leave. Jill had come back, as her friends left. Chris held a phone number in his hands, but to Jill's surprise he hadn't gone off with whom it belonged to. He'd waited for her. She realised that. She wanted to run back to the bathroom.

"Why are you still here?" She quizzed, managing to put on a teasing look. He looked at her and smiled slightly.

"I got a number, but no invite home! Can you believe that?" He laughed.

Jill looked to the door, noticing her friends leave. Amy blew Chris a kiss.

As they left, Jill had a slight realisation. Somehow, in whatever way, she was different to those girls, her friends. She seemed to realise why she preferred to be with her 'family' more than her 'friends'. And she realised she was probably 'The friend no-one liked'. She started laughing, catching Chris off guard.

"Are you alright?" Chris asked, blinking a few times.

"I'm fine, great, in fact." She said truthfully. /I know where I belong, but I can't cut ties just yet/

She turned to Chris. "Well, You may as well come back to my place, it's closer than yours."

* * *

The door of Jill's apartment clicked as it unlocked, and the two stepped inside. Jill closed the door behind them.

Chris was familiar with Jill's apartment. It wasn't overly done, and not too plain. It had what was needed to get by, and that seemed like all that she wanted. If something didn't belong, it was easy to find – And easy to figure out that her boyfriend had been the one to purchase it.

"You can have the bed." Jill said simply, sitting down on the couch. She slipped off her boots, and stretched out on the couch. Chris blushed slightly, getting a quick glance of under her skirt as she'd done so. He looked away to hide it as she settled down on the cushions.

He chuckled, "I don't think your boyfriend would like that very much!" He joked. Jill didn't laugh. He looked over at her, puzzled, and wasn't able to say a word. Jill had dug her nails into her thigh, and not seeming to realise, slowly but repeatedly, scrapped them along her bare, pale skin, leaving red scratch marks over the area. If she did it any harder, or for much longer, she would draw blood.

She stared at the ground, not responding.

"I, can take the couch, Jill... I don't mind." Chris said, not knowing what to say to make her aware of what she was doing, or how to get her to stop.

She looked up at him with a teasing smile, "Pfft. You're bigger than me, Chris. You'd just fall off the couch." She stated, "Take the bed."

"But—-"

"That's an order, Redfield." Jill said snapped sternly. He gave a nod, knowing he couldn't argue. Jill's leg was bleeding. Part of him just wanted to grab her hand and tell her to stop, kiss it better if she refused.

Chris knew his way around, and left to get some sleep. Jill took one of the throw cushions that she was resting on and hugged it tightly. She thought jokingly to herself that she should sleep without a bra or underwear on, just in case something lucky happened. But she was smarter than to think that could happen, and she just fell asleep trying to realise why her eyes were pleading to cry.

/Damn men.../


	4. L O V E

A/N;

Day two and I'm up to Chapter 4 o__o; WTF. Why am I still writing?! Bah, Drama chapter is Drama. I can get back to most of my jokes next chapter xD

Resident Evil STILL doesn't belong to meeee D: Capcom owns it just like my soul.

Oh, for those of you who haven't gathered… This was originally written to be uploaded onto dA, so… Some things I've written in A/N might seem like they're from different days xD They are. I'm just too lazy to fix them for uploading here.

'L.O.V.E' lyrics belong to Ashley Simpson, I believe.

* * *

**L.O.V.E**

_**My boyfriend he don't answer on the telephone  
I don't even know where the hell he goes**_

Chris managed to force himself awake earlier than usual that morning. He still had to go home… Get changed… Shave… All that jazz. He had gotten changed after work, and although Jill might be able to get away with coming to work more casually, he would never hear the end of it from Wesker.

He contemplated having a shower, but figured Jill wouldn't be up as early as he was, which meant he couldn't ask. She'd done quite a bit for him, so he would have felt back going behind her back, just for something like that.

He found the one mirror in the bedroom and tried to fix his hair. Which was frankly irrelevant considering his hair was always a mess. He sighed lightly, just a morning sigh, and stretched. He'd thank Jill at work for all of this. He stood up and walked to the door, coming to a pause before opening it.

He could just make out Jill's voice.

He opened the door slightly and peered out.

Jill was already up, and dressed. She just had to tuck her long hair back into that hat, but she hadn't bothered to put the hat on yet. She was too preoccupied to do that.

"And when was this decided?"

She stood in front of the couch, phone pressed against her ear. She would have been playing with the cord if it had one. Chris slowly stepped out of the bedroom, closing the door quietly. He was being a jerk and listening in.

Jill clenched one of her hands into a fist as she listened to whatever reply she received. Chris noticed her bite her bottom lip. She didn't exactly look pleased.

"If I was a month ago, why didn't you call? Or text, or something! For Christ sake, we're meant to be partners!" She growled into the phone. "You keep leaving it down to me to check up on things, and you rarely answer to begin with!"

Chris cringed. He couldn't be gladder to not be on the receiving end on the argument.

"I'm not your fucking second choice! Don't tell me not raise my voice! **I'll yell as much as I see fit, you jackarse!**" She screamed into the phone. Saying she was worked up would be a very severe understatement.

"Oh, **get fucked!!**" Followed by a slam of the phone down, Jill retreated back to the couch and basically threw herself down on it. She sat on the edge of it, elbows on her knees, and hands over her face.

Something tugged at Chris that day. The strongest woman he knew, the hard arse of STARS, crying. His view on the world was thrown into shambles. Jill wiped her eyes and sat up. "Harden the fuck up, Jill Valentine." She growled angrily at herself. She grabbed her hat from the cushion, putting it on and hiding most of her hair under it. She took a few breaths and Chris hid behind the door.

"Chris! Are you up yet?" She called. He wished he hadn't been.

* * *

The two arrived at work late, together. Jill had gone with Chris, back to his apartment. She just thought it made more sense for them to go together, since they were basically both ready to leave.

As the two entered Rebecca looked expectantly at Jill, a smile on her face. Jill just looked at her blankly, and shook her head. Rebecca covered her mouth, knowing by the lack of an expression not to inquire about it.

Wesker brought them all up to date with some new news – They would be leaving on a mission in a month's time. It wasn't quite a mission, per say, but more of a check up on something – But Alpha team was needed for it.

Jill remembered her phone call. The apartment would be lonely for awhile.

* * *

"Why don't you just break it off?"

"Excuse me?" Jill asked, looking up at Richard. She didn't know how long he had been standing there, but he must have seen how she was staring at the photo frame.

"Why don't you just break it off with him?" Richard said. It struck Jill as something uncharacteristic from him. He was the one that always tried to solve things as cleanly as possible without causing any pain.

"You've been moping around so much lately," He continued, "It's not like you. I'm not saying you're not allowed to, because that would be cruel. But, Jill, I think it's much better for your own health if you do something, instead of just waiting. When was the last time you actually saw him face to face?"

"Three months ago." She answered, looking away.

"Form ore than ten minutes?" He added.

"… Six Months." She confessed.

"Jill, please. None of us here even know what his name is, and that certainly says something about what's going on." He tried to persuade her.

"To be honest, I don't even know if I can remember his name for much longer." She said, turning and giving him a smile, "I'll think about it Richard. Stop worrying about me."

* * *

Forest strolled into the office, which was vacant except for Wesker, and slumped down onto one of the chairs by his fake desk.

Wesker raised his eyes from his work for a moment, then want back to ignoring Forest, working again.

"I can't believe it…" Forest whined, loudly.

Wesker continued to work.

"I mean, really!" Forest said, throwing his arms up.

"…"

"I mean, what are the chances?!"

"Oh for god's sake, what Speyer?!" Wesker asked, ticked off and looking from his work.

"Oh well, since you asked," Forest began, sitting up straight. "You know one of the guys from RPD? Found out he was getting laid. In the building!"

Wesker raised an eyebrow, "… Oh?"

"Ugh, I'm sure at this rate people are going to be screwing in the closet." Forest sighed, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

Wesker seemed to pay more attention now, "West or East hall?" He asked.

"East…?" Forest answered, giving Wesker a strange look.

Wesker went digging through his desk and pulled out a power drill. Without a word, he walked out, just as Joseph walked in.

"… Where's Wesker going?" Joseph asked, watching as Wesker hurried off.

"He's either going to drill some air holes into some crates, or make some peep holes in the east closet." Forest answered.

"Hold on, people have sex in there…" Joseph said, raising an eyebrow. Forest uncrossed his arms and nodded.

"Yes!" He stated, "Why else do you think Wesker's doing what he's doing?"

"… I could never work for a greater man!" Joseph cheered.

* * *

Once more the day came to a close. Jill continued to think over what Richard had advised her. She listened to that man often; he was kind hearted and just looked out for everyone, all the time. If you were down from a hard day of work, he'd get a group together to go to the pub, and pay for all of the drinks. He was one of the first to always hop up to help someone. He nearly always managed to calm people down, and just made things seem better than what they were for awhile, especially when said people were scared or worried. Jill wished there were more people like him.

There weren't many people in the building, the night staff hadn't turned up. She walked to the hall to leave, and spotted Chris. She bit her bottom lip, once more unsure of why. There were no butterflies in her stomach, but her eyes were sore.

He turned, spotting her and smiled, "Hey there, Jill!" He greeted with a warm grin. She smiled widely back, as one does. "Yo there, Redfield."

"Ah, what are you doing calling me Redfield so much lately?" Chris asked, scratching the back of his head, "You're gonna start acting like Wesker soon!"

"Well I'm not going to go get a sex change and a pair of sunglasses." She said, poking her tongue out at him with her hands behind her back.

"Yeah, I'd start freaking out if that happened… God, it's such a freaky arse image in my head." Chris chuckled, "I never want to think about it again!"

"Then I'll only bring it up to you for revenge purposes then, eh?" She teased, moving her arms to her side. Chris nodded.

"If you wanna sink that low!" He chuckled, before looking towards the door. "Well, I'd better be going. I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay Jill?"

Jill nodded slowly. "Yeah."

Chris checked his pockets to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, and headed for the door.

"Hey… Chris," Jill peeped up. Chris stopped and looked over his shoulder. She seemed quiet.

"Yeah, Jill?" He asked.

She remained silent for about a minute. It puzzled Chris, but he still waited.

"Do you think, I could have a hug?" She asked.

Chris raised an eyebrow. The question didn't seem quite right. He'd known Jill for a long while – They were like best friends – But she had never really been a huggy person. He had always assumed that she may have been with her boyfriend, but despite their friendship, they had only once or twice shared a hug, and there were reasons behind those. This one, was just out of the blue.

Jill clenched her fist behind her back, simply waiting for an answer. She was developing a nervous habit of biting her bottom lip, and was fighting the urge to do so.

"Sure, Jill." Chris said after a few moments, though he was unable to shake his puzzled nature. He took a few steps towards her, and she quickly closed the gap. She put her arms around him tightly, resting her head on his shoulder. She dug her fingers deep into his shoulder blades.

Chris hesitated for a second, before putting his arms around her in return. The whole thing was stranger now. It wasn't like the friend hugs there'd shared once or twice, or even the 'I love you, darling' hugs he'd had in some relationships. She didn't need to say, but he knew that it was a hug that was needed. A 'Please hold me so I don't fall apart' hug. And that's just what he did.

He could feel warmth on his shoulder, but didn't pry about why Jill was crying. She silently thanked him for that.

Jill was strong. Nearly more than anything, she didn't want to break. And she didn't want to let go. None of this was because of lust anymore.


	5. Cartoon Heroes

A/N;

This chapter was so much fun! Yes, it's long, but it's basically all gag, it makes me so happy XD!

This is probably my favourite chapter so far… It's basically all nonsense~! *noms on it*

Oh yeah, Resident Evil still doesn't belong to me :c

'Cartoon Heroes' lyrics belong to Aqua.

'What's that Girl Doing With That Guy' lyrics belong to Super Boy

Eh, warning, this chapter has hints of... Opinions on Twilight by Stephanie Meyer? If you're a fan that can't take a joke, skip this chapter. If you're a fan that can, or an anti, read away :)!

* * *

**Cartoon Heroes**

_**It's all an orchestra of strings, Doin' unbelievable things  
Frame by frame, to the extreme One by one, we're makin' it fun**_

Jill had the day off that day. It wasn't really a day off, but she didn't turn up. Instead she blacked out on her bed, and slept most of the day. She woke up half way through the day and called to tell Barry, who informed Wesker.

Jill was too embarrassed to go to work and face Chris. After how she had acted…

But stuff still went on at STARS, regardless.

* * *

Joseph slammed his fists down on Wesker's desk, making the man look up from his paperwork with a glare. "What, _Frost_?" He growled.

Joseph cleared his throat, seeming determined. "Captain Wesker, there is something that I direly need to bring up to you!" He stated.

Wesker groaned and looked back to his paper work, "This isn't about the dog pack outside again, is it? I told you, Kevin in RPD is already trying to solve that. Even if he _is _failing at it."

A shiver ran down Joseph's spine, but he shook his head. "No, Captain, it's not about that." He assured her.

Wesker groaned again, and then slumped forward on his desk, chest and face down against the paper, "Then get to it, Frost. I'm busy here and don't have time to listen to your nonsense."

Forest stood tall, and put his arms by his sides, trying to look respectable, "Sir, something has really been bugging me lately… And I would like to see it attended to. There has been a severe lack of quality in certain things around here, and it has occurred to me---"

"**Spit it out, Frost!**"

"The RPD Station needs a kitchen, Sir!"

The room fell silent as Wesker raised his head and looked at Joseph. "… Would you care to run that by me once more?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Joseph seemed to shrink, now. He pressed his index fingers together in front of himself, "Um, you see sir… There's a lack of quality in the food that we receive here, and frankly I'd like to, see to that myself…"

"You _are _pulling my leg, aren't you?" Wesker asked, narrowing his brow.

Joseph quickly shook his head, "No, Sir!"

Wesked pinched the bridge of his nose, "Joseph… There is already a kitchen in the building. That is where the food we get is from, as distasteful as it is. Frankly I believe Irons just pulls people off the street to cook."

"You, you mean there's been one here all along?!" Joseph asked, seeming completely distraught.

Wesker nodded, "Yes!" He hissed, "But supposedly, you're not allowed in there! How did you not even notice it?!"

"I get lost in this building! Have you ever actually tried to go around this whole thing?! S, Sir!" Joseph said, managing to find his place. "Why aren't I allowed in there?! I'm a damn good cook!"

"I can vouch for that." Brad peeped in. Wesker glanced at him.

"And how would you know?" Wesker inquired. Brad squeaked, being put in the spot.

"You remember that black forest cake that was brought I awhile ago? Joseph made that…" He answered.

"Jesus… If I had died right there and then while eating that cake, I would have died happy!" Wesker said, basically gasping. He turned to Joseph, "What in the world are you doing working for STARS?!"

Joseph turned his back to Wesker and took a few steps away from the desk. Forest ran to the light switches, and turned all for the lights in the ceiling off except for the one above Joseph. It was like a spotlight, yessir!

Joseph clasped his hands together. "When I was a young boy… I did not want to be a fireman, no! A policeman? No! Well, maybe a little bit considering where I am now! No, I wanted to be… A cook!" He said dramatically, moving the back of hand to his forehead as he looked down. The other gasped.

"What happened, Joseph?!" Richard inquired.

"All the other children... They made fun of me, even the girls! You see, I was born in a town far from Raccoon City… It was a great place to live, if you wanted to be _stabbed_. I couldn't let others know that I wanted to cook! It was so dangerous!"

"What did you do?!" Kenneth asked.

"As I grew older, my principal, he hated me! Whatever excuse he could find, he would use it against me! As I reached high school, he put me on a suspension because I wouldn't get rid of my sideburns! But I barely had _any_ sideburns! Everyone else at my school had sideburns! Even the girls had sideburns! And yet, I was kicked out!" Joseph continued. The group gasped.

"But it was a blessing in disguise! I was able to stay home for weeks, looking through my mothers cook books and just cooking! There was no-one to prosecute me at home! I was in heaven!"

"... That still doesn't explain why you're in STARS." Wesker noted.

"But one day, when I was suspended again, for wearing pants that were too long, I was walking past a store, and it was on fire! Skipping all the drama and such, I saved the woman who as inside, as well as her ferret. She thanked me as the fire brigade came, and from that day on, I vowed to save lives!" Joseph announces.

"I **don't** understand what that has to do with _anything_." Wesker growled.

"… Did I happen to mention she was a cook? And she taught me how to cook more because I saved her?" Joseph asked as the lights flickered back on.

"… No, but that would have been helpful." Wesker answered.

"Oh, yet people still hated my desire to cook!" Joseph said, flailing his arms, sobbing. Enrico hugged him.

"There there my boy, there is no need to cry here! We _like_ your cooking!" He said, and the others, excluding Wesker and the absent Jill, cheered.

"… Did all of that honestly just happen? His explanation doesn't even make sense!" Wesker stated, his eye twitching. ".. I'll take it up with Irons, and if all else fails, I'll have Chris and Forest snipe anyone who gets in your way."

"Oh, thank you Captain, you won't regret this!" Joseph cried.

"May we please change subjects now?" Wesker asked, trying to fix the paperwork he had put out of order.

"You know, when I was a child, I always wanted to be a fireman…" Forest stated.

"I wanted to be a super hero." Richard nodded.

"… I kinda wanted to be a vampire bat." Brad stated. The group looked at him.

"Of the sparkling variety?" Forest asked, without even thinking of treading carefully.

"Sparkles aren't all bad. I mean, some vampire bats sparkle, in certain things. Like that one game…" Brad said, looking away. The group nodded.

"That was one fucking awesome game." Barry said, followed by some chatter from others agreeing.

"As long as they don't _dazzle_ someone, of course!" Kenneth chuckled. The group nodded.

_Poof~!_

"**CHRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!**" Wesker basically erupted. The group looked over at him.

"REDFIELD, explain to me _now _how I managed to get fucking **glitter** in my eyes despite wearing SUNGLASSES!!" Wesker barked angrily, standing up and slamming down the book he had opened. It must have been snuck in his desk, and he had opened it out of curiousity.

"Oh dear god… Wesker got _dazzled_!" Barry gasped.

"Chagrin!" Enrico stated.

"THIS IS **WAR, REDFIELD!!**" Wesker yelled, and Chris high-tailed his arse out of there faster than… Something really fucking fast.

"Well, considering you're already horribly irritated and can't become any more angry, do you think we could bring in the TV and consoles from the spare room down stairs?" Forest asked.

"**YES!**" Wesker snapped angrily, probably not realizing what he had just agree to.

* * *

"What did I just agree to?" Wesker growled to himself, slumping once again on his desk.

The men were busily working to connect the two console of choice up to the TV. The controversial Wii, and the PS3. There were way too many cables scattered over the ground. There were the Wii remotes, and what looked like guns. Fake ones, for the Wii, of course. There were two microphones connected to the PS3. Alright, maybe there weren't that many cables, but it still looked like a collection of mayhem that would ensure.

"God, why me?" Wesker groaned, then paused, "Oh right, my sudden but inevitable betrayal that's ensured to happen at some point…"

"Did you say something?" Enrico called to Wesker.

"Nothing!" he called back.

* * *

"Why did I agree to this?" Wesker moaned. He was covering his ears, having to endure the others playing some version of that damn Singstar game. It seemed to include more people depending on the song, and Wesker could already see hell coming his way.

Chris seemed enthusiastic about starting first, and the group bickered about the song choice, though he seemed very firm on what one to sing. Wesker quickly searched through his desk in a vain attempt to find some ear plugs, but was unable to find any before Chris began.

"What's that girl, doing with that boy~?" The opening lines, and Wesker ready to slam his head on his desk.

"For the love of god Redfield, shut up." Wesker groaned, moving his sunglasses up slightly and rubbing his eyes.

"She should be with me instead~" Chris continued.

"Oh come on..."

"What's that girl, doing with that boy~?"

"You already said that!"

"She should be sleeping in my bed~!"

"God damn it, Redfield!"

"My middle name is the Atomic man, I got big big muscles and a perfect tan~"

"Don't be so cocky, Redfield!"

Rebecca, Forest and Richard stepped up for backup vocals. Which was depressing, as the part was obviously meant for women to sing. At least Rebecca was a woman.

"Oh, oh, oh, he's a super boy~!" They sang. "Yes I am~" Chris confidently sang.

"Not you three, I thought you had _some_ form of dignity!" Wesker stated, seeming distraught by this development.

Chris either wasn't listening, or was going on specifically to piss off Wesker, "I don't need to fix my hair, I look so damn good, I don't have to care~"

Wesker basically face-palmed, "CHRIIIIIISSSSS..."

"Somebody tell me, What's that girl…"

Wesker stood up, slamming his hands on his desk. Despite that Chris was singing, surprisingly well, his left ear was bleeding, quite literally, probably because his annoyance with this was so overpowering.

"CHRIS. _STOP_ singing, you cannot proceed to the verse because Jill isn't here to be **that girl**! Pointless Redfield, Pointless!" Wesker hissed.

Chris looked around and raised an eyebrow, ready to say something in his defense, but once more Wesker stepped in.

"Do not try and say that she's not the reason you're singing that god damned song! Now for the love of Christ, quit that song and sing Alcazar, or something!" Wesker snapped.

Chris quickly shut his mouth, and quit the song. He continued to hum it as he searched through the songs, causing Wesker to throw a tantrum and leave.

* * *

Wesker came back some time later, and the consoles appeared to be changed. There was the sound of shooting and repeated phrases of 'Mother Fucka'. He cocked his head to the side, trying to comprehend what the hell his subordinates might have been doing.

He wondered over to the group, whom seemed to be crowded around the TV. He peered over Rebecca's shoulder, and was unsure about how to react to what he saw.

Enrico and Barry had firm stances, holding the Wii remotes now placed in the gun controls. They were shooting Zombies, while whomever Barry was controlling continued to spew out vulgar language.

"Zombies?" Wesker inquired. Rebecca looked up at him.

"House of the Dead, Overkill." She smiled, childlike, "Best Mother fucking parody shooter game in fucking existence!"

"Watch your language!" Wesker gasped. It caught him off guard that it had been _little Rebecca_ saying that.

She pouted and looked back to the screen, "Sorry, fucking game has me swearing like a mother fucking sailor."

"Damn right, mother fucker." Joseph nodded.

Wesker turned and walked away, back to his desk. "Hmph, Zombies! How childish. Like they'd even exist…" He mumbled.

* * *

"Rebecca, what are you doing?" Forest asked as he walked back into the office after lunch, raising an eyebrow, but trying not to look too far down.

"I'm looking for the rubber that fell off my table." Rebecca answered. Joseph couldn't help but snort, trying not to laugh. Damn different meaning for 'rubber'.

Rebecca was on her hands and knees, looking under her table. Well honestly, she was more of on her hands and elbows, so it was, once more, an exceptionally suggestive image.

Forest looked at the other guys, all except for Joseph and Wesker, who seemed to be wondering the same thing. What the hell should they do? Yes, they could watch her without any threat of having their throats torn out by Jill, but… She'd find out. Oh god, would she find out. Or worse, _Billy_ would find out.

'Wesker, stop taping her arse!' Forest mouthed to Wesker, who was sitting not too far, feet on his desk, camera pointed in that said direction. Forest turned his attention back to Rebecca.

"Just get up, you'll get dirty." He began, Joseph snorted again, "We'll just find another one."

"But it's my favourite." She said sadly, trying to feel for it under the desk. It had managed to fall away from her makeshift desk, and under the actual desk in front of her.

"Why, is it the flavoured one?" Joseph said, his voice slightly squeaked, as he had been trying so hard to hold back from saying anything.

Rebecca moved her arm back and straightened up, only kneeling now. "No, scented. Who the hell would eat a rubber?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you wouldn't necessarily eat a rubber from what women have told me…" Joseph said, before Richard stripped him of his bandanna and used it to gag him.

"Enough already! Rebecca, just use some white out, we'll find it later!" Richard sighed, exhausted from having to hear all of these things over the past few days.

"Just for the love of Christ, don't spill it on yourself, Rebecca…" Forest choked, while he could hear Joseph laughing, even while he as gagged.

* * *

Rebecca stood in one of the bottom floors of the RPD police station. She'd never actually gone through the whole building before. Not yet, at least. She was staring up at a large map, tracing a route with her finger, so that she would hopefully not get lost. She did this a few times, rethinking certain turns. She wanted to explore as much as possible, but she would have been embarrassed to call one of the others on their mobiles to ask for them to give her directions, or just to fetch her. She would have felt bad if they'd sent Kenneth out scouting just to track her down. 'Guys, I'm some where where I don't know where I am!' 'Well, Rebecca, and here we were thinking you were smart. We'll send the hounds after you.' 'Those Dobermans?!' 'No, those ones are out playing fetch with Kevin. It'll be the back up ones that aren't full trained in not biting.'

Yes, she was _definitely_ going to make sure she could figure out how to get back. She considered finding some yarn and using it like bread crumbs. She'd seen Richard knitting a few times when no-one else seemed to be looking.

Her delicate fingers started from the beginning again, and chose a different direction…

"What the hell are you doing even putting your finger where that area is on a map?!"

Rebecca jumped, a startled squeak escaping as she turned around to see Forest standing behind her.

"W, what did you do that for?!" She asked, after managing to find where her heart had jumped to. She kicked him in the shins. He gave a yelp and looked at her, hurt.

"Hey! I was just trying to make sure you didn't get infected with prick germs!" He protested, holding his leg. For a small thing, she sure could kick hard.

"What do you mean?" She asked, turning to the map. She looked at where her hand had stopped before Forest scared the living daylights out of her.

"You hand was hovering over Chief Iron's office. I hope you weren't think about going there." He answered.

"Oh?" She asked cockily, looking over her shoulder, "And what if I was~?"

He gave her a 'you must be joking.' Look. "Has no-one told you about him?" He asked. She shrugged.

"He's chief of the RPD, what else is there to know?" She asked.

"Rebecca. When you were little, your parents used to tell you about the boogieman and the monster under your bed, right?" Forest asked, trying to think of the best way to explain it without sounding offensive. She gave a nod, unsure about where he was going.

"Irons is like both the boogieman and the monster under your bed. For little girls and young women, he's like every monsters combined into one form. While the boogieman just eats you, Irons makes sure he uses you before throwing you away. And using you in a bad way." He tried to explain.

Rebecca looked at him, mouth open slightly, "Stop pulling me leg! He's the Chief of Police! That sounds like something out of a cheesy horror movie! There's no way they'd let him keep working here if that was true!"

"Two counts of rape and some time in a mental asylum, I think that's what Barry ranted on about at some point. Money can get you anywhere, Becca." He said, shaking his head, "Don't go by that office. Rebecca, you're like a pedophile's wet dream. There would be _no_ way you'd get out of there with your arse untouched, and that's if you're lucky." Joseph stated.

Rebecca huffed, looking angry rather than her usual annoyed expression when she did so, "He needs to go to jail and be arse raped repeatedly!" She barked, "That sick fuck!!" She had changed from unnerved to infuriated.

"Whoa Rebecca! Did you take a turn at House of the Dead again?!" Forest asked, wide-eyed. She just stomped her foot on the ground hard as a reply of 'Fuck no, I'm just really mother fucking pissed!'.

He seemed to catch on pretty quickly. Rebecca was a girl, after all, which probably meant she had an even stronger distaste for what the chief had been doing than all of the guys in STARS. Not saying that they weren't completely disgusted to work for a man like that.

Rebecca grabbed his arm, "You! We're going to go find some bear traps, _now_!" She said, giving Forest no chance to protest, "I'm taking out the god damned Boogieman if it's the last thing I do!"

Now it may not have been known, but Wesker's drawer was actually filled with multiple assassination plans to get rid of the chief. And just some plans to hurl cats at his office window.

* * *

"Sooooo…" Forest began, shifting in his seat. A large, round table had been brought in, and everyone was around it, playing a nice game of Go Fish. Who cared about work at this point? For some bizarre reason, not Wesker. He was probably fed up with everyone's behaviour and had just decided to join in, as he seemed to be playing, and winning.

There wasn't much tension which was nice, though a bit of competitive-like behaviour.

"Fucking bastard, you said you had no fours!" Joseph shouted. As the game went on, Richard coaxing him to sit back down once again. It wasn't too long until the end of the day. The game went on, until Brad burst through the door, whom no-one had noticed had been absent.

"Guys! You remember what Forest was saying?!" He said quickly, though appeared out of breath.

"A lot of drabble comes out of Speyer's mouth." Wesker Stated. "Kindly be more specific."

"When Forest said that there would be sex in the closet!" Brad said, waving his arms a bit.

"So, what you're trying to say is, there is currently sex, in the closet?" Joseph asked. Brad nodded.

Barry looked at his cards, "Hmm... Let's see… Continue playing a lovely game of Go Fish until today's done, or go get disappointed that there's no sex in the closet… Keep playing this fantastic, entertaining game of Go Fish, or believe Brad and look in the closet… Brad, or Go Fish…"

"Uhm, Barry…?" Enrico said, raising an eyebrow.

Barry stood up, "To the closet we go!"

"What?!" Rebecca asked, as the rest of the men stood up, "The Closet?! You were making it sound like you were being a jerk and just making fun of Brad!"

"Ah, Rebecca… You see, we're all men here… Except for you, and if there's even a small, teeny tiny chance of pornography in it, we'll risk it!" Barry explained. "Mind the cards!"

"You're all disgusting!" Rebecca shouted, as the men swiftly left the room. She crossed her arms and huffed, before beginning to rearrange everyone's cards… And take some money from the wallet Barry had left.

* * *

Back at her house, Jill managed to wake up for a small while to make herself some coffee, in a vain attempt to keep herself awake. She had the bad feeling that no work was going to get done today since she was home.

* * *

A/N;

Were you dazzled?

Can you guys guess what game Brad was referring to xD? If you know me, it's not a hard thing to answer!

I might re-write the part about Forest and Rebecca talking Irons. Serious Segement was Serious, kinda… It doesn't fit XD I's past 2am, so I'll try tomorrow.

Yay Toshyii for the Pedophile quote.

… Who's actually even_ reading_ this?!


	6. Knock 'em Out

A/N;

I may not be a _good _fanfic writer, but at least I'm _competent_ x_x; Reading pretty terrible fanfictions over the last few months have driven me to work on this chapter DX

Or, and just a quick favour… If you're actually reading this, can you comment just so I know XD? Cause I'll have reason to write faster if people are, and if it's pretty much just me, Toshyii and Shin, then I'll probably slack off. I want to know any stalkers out there, too XD!

On a note, I think people in Britain spell like us… Or it might be somewhere else…

Resident Evil? Wait, lemme check… Yeah, still not mine D:

'Knock 'em Out' lyrics belong to Lily Allen.

'Ménage à Trois' lyrics belong to Alcazar.

* * *

**Knock 'em Out**

_**Try desperately to think of the politest way to say, Just get out my face, just leave me alone,  
And no you can't have my number, Because I've lost my phone.**_

Jill took a few slow, deep breaths. She stood in front of the mirror, brushing a few strands of hair from her eyes, and just tried to make sure she looked healthy. She had only missed one day, but even that felt like a great blow to her career. In her own opinion, at least.

She gave herself a few more minutes to make sure that she hadn't forgotten anything. The limited amount of time she had been awake yesterday, her memory seemed to have weakened. She would go to do something, then just suddenly stop, forgetting what she was meant to be doing. It was quite annoying, and worrying.

Overall, the sleep and time to think had been good for her. She was thinking much clearer than she had been recently, and managed to keep herself calm. You could go as far as to say she had attempted to build a barrier, so she wouldn't be caught out acting up around Chris again.

Everything seemed to be there, and with that, she headed off to work. It looked like it was going to be a cold day.

* * *

There was actually some work to be done that day. It really was a nice change, even if it was just preparations for what the mission that was coming up.

Rebecca couldn't really sit still. She'd gotten up multiple times and walked around, humming a tune loudly. It was a bit distracted, though no-one would admit it. She seemed strangely happy. Happier than usual, at least. As it does in these situations, the humming quickly evolved into singing, though not loud enough to grab the attention of Wesker. Or, perhaps, it was, and he simply chose to ignore it.

"Twice is nice, but three's divine, what's her's is yours, is ours, is mine!

If you're in the middle, better hold on ti~ght~!"

"Did Rebecca just sing what I think she just sung?" Jill asked, pausing from her typing and turning to look at Rebecca. Chris looked over his shoulder towards Jill and gave a nod.

"Yep." He answered simply.

"Does she even know what that might mean?" Jill asked.

"Would you like to come to our ménage à trois~?" Rebecca continued.

"Seems so." Chris nodded.

"Ménage à trios?! Rebecca!" Jill originally began in disbelief, but quickly moved to a scolding tone with Rebecca's name. Rebecca came to a halt and immediately looked at Jill, caught off guard by her name, and the way it had been said. She looked, as one would expect, startled.

"Now now, don't yell." Richard began, trying to defuse the situation, even though it probably wouldn't have escalated – Jill was just shocked. "It's not as bad as you think. It's just an Alcazar song. Wesker demanded we change the song to something of theirs yesterday, and it just so happens 'Ménage à Trios' has a very catchy beat. She's got no idea what it means."

"I'm gonna go out and get something, I'll be back soon!" Rebecca called. She smiled as she left, closing the door behind her, "We can promise satisfaction guaranteed~!"

* * *

Wesker had left the STARS office after lunch, giving Enrico and Barry direct orders to_ try_ and keep everyone under control. He had a very important job to do.

Wesker caught quite a few eyes as he walked down the street, which would have been a given. But he didn't walk into any place one would think he'd walk to… He turned down one of the streets and headed into an Office Works. … What?

He was carrying something under his arm, and as he walked to the counter of the office furniture section, placed it down in front of the clerk.

"… Can I help you sir…?" He asked, looking at him with a strange look. What the hell was with the jar her had just placed on the counter, and was that what he thought it was written on the label?

Wesker cleared his throat, "I wanted to choice a desk before payment, is it possible to do that?" He asked. The clerk slowly nodded, grabbing a notepad and pencil, not taking his eyes off of the empty jar. Wesker went on.

"The American Cherry Veneer and Timber in the second aisle should suffice. I should be back in a couple of days with payment, make sure no-one else buys it until I'm back." He stated, before grabbing his jar and leaving.

As he began to walk back, clouds began to gather. Hopefully he'd make it back before it started pouring outside.

* * *

Whilst Wesker was absent, everyone in the STARS office seemed… Relatively behaved, strangely enough. Everyone was either _trying_ to do work, or lazing around at their desks, except for Jill and Chris.

They had taken Brad's laptop, and were casually surfing the internet, or at least had been for awhile. A random internet search had lead to a writing forum, certain people posting short stories and fanfictions for criticism. Jill had a rather disgusted look on her face as they looked through one of the latter.

"How young are people beginning to write? This is… Horrific…" She groaned, slumping forward and using the desk to support herself, "I… Can't even understand half of this without having to back track and read the sentence three times!" It was making her feel less than well.

Chris tried to read, standing behind Jill's chair. Or, Wesker's chair really. But he was developing the same queasy, ill feeling from all of it.

"He slid his tung where? Tong? When did he start, oh, _tongue_! ... Ew."

"Since when was sex described as 'rubbing his body on hers'?" Jill asked, rolling her eyes as she scrolled through the story. "And the girl who wrote this supposedly has a child… And's _younger_ than me…"

Chris gave a shrug. "Either when it was decided that the adolescence of this generation forgot how to spell, when they started losing their intellect, or when that song 'Push up' came about." He answered, trying to think of significant answers. He paused, and then moved closer to Jill, before 'rubbing' up against her side.

"Does this mean you might be pregnant now?" He quizzed, just as Jill pushed him away, blushing slightly from the form of contact. There went the whole barrier concept.

"I don't know who taught _you_ sexual education, but I hope they had their teaching license revoked." She stated, managing to get back to the 'story'.

"Sex… What is this word in which you speak of?" He asked, scratching the back of his head. Jill didn't even bother trying not to laugh – She knew she would anyway. And so she did. For whatever reason, it made Chris smile.

Jill managed to recover from the short laughing fit. She scrolled further down and whistled, "As vague as all this is, I hope the girl used protection." She commented with a light chuckle.

"The question is, did you, lover~?" Chris teased.

She looked at him once more, "Chris, considering that you can't tell the difference between my elbow from my crouch, I think I'm pretty safe to say I didn't need protection for what just happened."

"So no STARS babies?" He asked with a pout.

"Ask Amy." Jill spat back, her voice for a moment filled with venom, which naturally confused poor Chris.

She once again tried to concentrate on the writing and shook her head.

"If people are going to write stories, they should have time to spell check before publishing it somewhere, especially the internet… You'll get _torn apart_. A few mistakes are fine, but you can tell this chick didn't even try!" Jill said, shaking her head.

"Yeah… What about those people who spell Faerie 'Fairy'? And Favor 'Favour'? It really annoys me!" Chris said, nodding his head.

"Chris, did you ever stop to think that maybe they're Australian? And thus have different spelling? Ass being Arse?" Jill asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You mean Australian as in that place with the Kangaroos?" He asked. She nodded.

"And Koalas, and Boomerangs and those adorable little Bilbies."

"Yeah, but who actually pronounces Faerie 'Fairy'?!" Chris asked, trying to defend himself, seeming to be caught in a glare Jill was giving him.

"I say fairy instead of fairy!" She stated loudly.

"… Oh look, another bad reference to sex! 'He lay on top of her and thrusted'!"

"Nice save, Chris." She said, looking back to the screen. "You know, it makes me glad we aren't fictional. God knows what people would do to us."

"I see many tentacles in your future…"

"Ugh."

As Jill sunk back in the seat the door opened, Wesker waltzing in, the unknown jar tucked safely under his arm. The two did not notice him, and nearly jumped out of their skin when the laptop screen slammed down, with the help of the oh-so-polite Wesker. "Move. Now. There is an _announcement_ to be made." He stated. Chris grabbed the laptop and the two quickly retreated a few metres from the desk.

Wesker stood behind his desk and placed the jar on the desk. The rest of STARS looked at it, trying to understand what terms the label must have been under to read what it said.

"I would like to announce that from this day on, we will be using the 'Sex Jar." Wesker announced, leaning on the edge of the desk.

"Are… You experimenting with some new fetish or something…?" Chris asked, as no-one else seemed to be able to find any other words to say.

Wesker waved his hand in a dismissing manner. "On the contrary, this jar is what we shall be using to fund the desks I wish to have brought in to replace all of the crates and house hold items." He explained.

"… So, you're going to whore out Jill and Rebecca and take the tips?" Forest asked. Jill gave him a hard thrawk on the back of the head.

"You look more like a woman than I do, you'd bring in more moolah." She stated with a smug smirk.

Wesker massaged his temples, "No, no, NO! You idiots!" He snarled. There was the crack of thunder outside, which made everyone jump. No-one knew when that window had been installed there, but the one beside Wesker certainly added to the image as it began to bucket down outside.

"Would you idiots allow me to finish for once? The Sex Jar is like the Swear Jar. If any of you think or say anything perverted, kinky, or the likes, then you must put money in the jar, amount depending on how perverted the idea or action is. The minimum is five dollars, I think you can work the rest out from there." He explained to them all, crossing his arms. They all seemed to understand this now, and dread had not set in. "Is that all clear with you? I estimate in a couple of days we'll have Joseph's Desk."

Just as Wesker finished his statement, the door to the office opened. Rebecca walked in, slamming the door shut and resting her back against it. She whined, looking down at herself. She resembled a puppy that had been thrown into a river and pulled out just in time.

"It's raining so hard out there!" She cried, "I'm _so_ **wet**!"

And in a matter of a few seconds, the jar was full. Rebecca looked over at the jar, unable to see the 'Sex Jar' label on it from the distance. "Is that a donation jar or something? Do I have to put money in?" She asked. Wesker shook his head.

"No, you don't need to… But I think you may come in _very_ handy as this jar's lovely mascot…" He said, grabbing the jar. Rebecca squeaked.

* * *

"I thought you said you'd be back in a few days?" The clerk behind the desk asked.

"I forgot to remind myself how perverted my staff were, and how naïve a quite young woman who works for me are." He said simply.

The clerk had to study him for a moment. The man in front of his was soaked, drenched even. His blonde hair that had been slicked back earlier seemed basically lifeless, clinging to the side of his face. He had taken his glasses off, and was making a futile attempt to dry the lenses with the damp bottom of his shirt, which was no longer tucked under his vest. The clerk tried his best not to look at his arms, especially considering his sexuality would no doubt be on the line if he made any comment about how the muscles showed well with the water.

He noted the jar on the table. "Could you, explain this?" He asked.

Wesker gave a slight groan as he put the glasses back over his eyes. "This is the 'Sex Jar'. Whenever you have a perverted or dirty thought, or do an action similar in effect, you must put in $5 minimum, higher depending on severity of the thought or action." He explained loudly, as to not be misheard.

"That's a smart idea…" The Clerk said, and was unable to hold his tongue anymore, "… You look very… Wet."

In yet another quick second, money was thrown on the desk, about five times the amount painstakingly fitted into the jar. Most appeared to have been given from female shoppers.

"... I don't know whether to be pleased or _disturbed _by the fact that just happened…" Wesker said slowly, looking at the jar.

"… Would you like to by a second desk, sir…?" The clerk asked.


	7. Nothing left to Lose

A/N;

And yessss the same day as Chapter 6. It was verging on 4000 words when I decided to split it into two chapters x_o; and this chapter is so looong XD

My friend made a statement to me a little while ago. 'Face it Mieu, Deep down in you there is mush, past the smut, violence, smut, gore, blood, smut, smut, zombies, gun, smut, smut---' At this point I chimed in with 'Alright I get it, SMUT'.

But I think my points stands – I think I accidentally managed to did past the smut, violence, gore, blood, zombies and guns T_T I found the mush. *Feels dirty…?*

Anyway. Re? Religious Education o.o? Reply Email o.o? Oh, Resident Evil. Nope. Not mine.

* * *

**Nothing left to Lose**

_**Come on and we'll sing like we we're free.  
Push the pedal down, watch the world around fly by us.**_

The desk would take some time to get there, most likely within a few days. Joseph, not wanting to risk the desk being snatched by one of the guys in the RPD section, had decided to camp in the STARS office. For some strange reason the Office Works people apparently had a reputation of delivering furniture at 4am, when only the night owls were still awake.

It had been voted that the desk would be Richard's, who had been the one to get the worst place to put his makeshift desk – Right behind the office door. The others were all guilty of at least once accidentally messing up his paper by opening the door too fast, of giving him a bruised knee through the same action. Plus they _all_ quietly felt in debt for his kindness to them in the past.

It was just before the end of work, while Jill and Rebecca helped Joseph make a comfy looking bed out of cushions they'd stolen from the couches and chairs spread out through the building, as well as using some of the bed sheets taken from the laundry-type area.

If they hadn't run out of couches to rob, they probably would have made the bed look more like a castle. It was an apparently fun task to do.

Rebecca continued to move with a spring in her step, seeming to want to get things done quickly, but managing to do it with a happy beat.

"Hey, what's with you?" Jill asked, standing over by her desk to organize some things before she left, "You seem peppier than usual today."

Rebecca paused what she was doing, putting her hands behind her back. She quickly had a look about the room – Enrico and Barry had left. "I'm going out with Billy tonight." She chirped with a big smile.

/So childlike, it's cute…/ Jill thought with a small smile, "Hope you two have fun."

Rebecca paused for a moment, "What about you, Jill? What are you meant to be doing tonight?"

"I'm just probably gonna fall asleep on the couch watching some DVDs I rented a few nights ago." She shrugged, "There's really nothing else for me to do."

"I'm going to make either the very correct or very bad assumption that some of those DVDs happen to be pornos." Forest butted in. Jill locked eyes with him for a moment, before nodding as an answer.

"You can read my mind, Forest." She replied. "My Video store has a pretty good section is it; I'll give you the address some time." While Forest silently cheered, Chris quietly made a mental note of what Jill was planning to do. He was the one that knew the least about how her relationship was going, and had just assumed that she had acted up on those earlier occasions because they were having a fight. Was he away from the apartment for another day?

Chris felt a prang of guilt. Jill was going to be home on her own, which seemed like another in a row, and he was going to Amy's place. It may have just been simply the guilt of having someone while his friend didn't, but a certain saying rang in his mind.

"Hey Richard, can I ask you a favour?" Chris quizzed, as Jill walked out of the room, leaving for home once again.

* * *

Chris sat down, more of fell down onto the couch behind him. It was… Comfy, in a way. The room to him was… Interesting, in a way. The house he had walked into was… Cosy, in a way. He felt unsettled, in many ways.

The door closed as Amy walked in, having let Chris go on ahead. She was dressed up, just like she had been at the bar. Chris wondered to himself if she dressed like that all of the time, or just when men would be around.

He mentally slapped himself. It wasn't good for him to think like that, especially of the girl he had quickly hooked up with. She seemed nice enough. She seemed good looking enough. She seemed… Nothing like Jill. He wondered in the back of his mind how those two had managed to be friend.

At least this would be healthy for him; at least he would be loved. He just had to stop questioning that fact. She sat down beside him, moving a strand or behind her ear as she looked at him. She had hazels eyes and brunette hair just down to her shoulders. Blonde streaks in through it, some of them made into small braids. It must have been a popular style at the moment – A lot of effort put into it. He had to admit, he did like the length. But he felt like he needed to find something else to admire of her.

"So, I'm so glad you could come, Chris." She smiled, catching him off guard from his thought. She had nice teeth, too.

"It was a pleasure," He smiled, "I'm happy catch up."

She giggled at this, looking away to blush. Or to make it seem like she was blushing. She seemed like one of those school girls. In a stranger way compared to Rebecca. He made another note not to make that comparison, it would just be awkward.

"So, you never did get much of a chance to tell me what you do." She said, looking back to him, interested. Chris reminded himself that he had at least made a reference to it, but it mustn't have been enough.

"Basically, I work for a certain section of the Police, one of the special teams." He began, "You know, the whole rescuing business. Saving hostages, finding lost people, and taking down the baddies when things get too tough for the other police."

"… Wow, are you serious?" She asked, wide eyed.

He gave a nod, seeming proud of his quick job description. "Yeah. The only problem is I still gotta do paper work, spend hours at work and I'm on twenty-four hour call."

"That sounds _intense_." She gasped. He chuckled and nodded.

"It really is, but it's really worth it in the end."

"… Hey, I got a question. How'd ya meet Jill? I mean, Jill's never struck me as a social chick, you know?" She asked, putting her elbow on her knee and resting her chin on the back of her hand.

"I work with her," He said, positive he had mentioned it last time. "We're in the same group. I've worked with her for a couple of years – We're usually partners on missions."

She giggled again. Chris didn't know whether he liked it, or whether it hurt his ears. "You shouldn't call her a partner, it sounds, too _intimate_ or something!"

He looked away to blush. It was genuine, but unnoticed by Amy, "Well there's not much else I can call her. Workmate doesn't seem to quite cover it."

"Hmm… Whatever." She said, looking to the side. "She's quite, strange anyway." She bit her tongue, before saying anything more as he looked at her questioningly.

"How's she strange, can I ask?" He quizzed. She looked at him, obviously having not thought it out. "She's just so… Bleak. You know? So… So unfeeling… She's, quite plain, not really, pretty… Not, what people would want. I don't wanna be mean but, I really don't know how she got that boyfriend of hers. I mean… She's just so, and he's always so…"

Chris wanted to raise his hand, to tell her to stop, but he let her go on for a couple of minutes. Just because he wasn't a girl didn't mean he didn't feel like punching someone who made fun of one of his 'girlfriends'. But she must have had her reasons… Even if she wasn't giving very good reasons. In his mind he could contradict each part.

'She's just so Bleak'. Every time Chris had seen Jill talk to new people, she was straight to the point. It was like she did it to keep people out, and to make sure that she was taken seriously. But with him and the rest of STARS… She could be absolutely vibrant.

'So… So unfeeling…'. When they first started working together, she would tease him, but that was what drew him to her. She had a mind. She knew what she said. And she knew that he could take a joke. She knew people. She knew him. When he was low, she was there for him. She knew when something was wrong. She would put everything aside just to make him pep up. She could relate, some how, and she could tell how you felt.

'She's, quite plain, not really, pretty'. Jill was beautiful. She didn't have to glamour herself up. She didn't need to _fake_. She let people take her for how she was and she took them for how they were. He probably would never admit it, but to him she was gorgeous. Her style, her looks, her personality, her dominating way.

But she was his friend. He didn't see her the way he convinced himself he was looking at Amy. He didn't like Jill, love her… That's what he told himself. Jill was already loved by someone else.

How long could he keep telling himself he was just trying to defend Jill in his mind because she was his friend?

"But I guess I can't complain, I mean, look at you." She said, grabbing his attention. He looked her in the eyes once again.

"… Excuse me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uhm!" She said, gasping a bit, and putting her hands together. She looked away with her eyes. "Uhm, well I mean, ahh! Well, just when I was talkin' about Jill's outfits… Well, you could dress a little better, too."

Chris looked down at himself. He was dressed pretty casually. Green loose T-shirt, Tan pants, light jacket… What was wrong with that?

"… Go on." He said, cautiously.

"… And you could shave…" She said, going a bit quieter. He ran his hand over his chin… It wasn't that bad.

"I mean, you could just put in a little more effort. And speak more, too. And it took you this long to catch up with me!" She said, seeming to get into a rhythm for it now. Chris put up his hands, motioning for her to stop.

"Come on, hold up for a second. Jesus, I can only correct a few things at a time… Stop nit picking…" He said as calmly as possible. She managed to sit comfortably after a few moments again.

"Sorry," She apologized, "But those sort of things _always_ annoy me. When men can't spend time with you, when they're messy, when they're immature, and vulgar… It'd just be awesome if you could, you know, change yourself a little…" She went on.

/… Might be bad with the last two… Everyone in the stations knows STARS for being immature and vulgar… Hang on a second, change yourself a little…?/

As soon as she finished this little tangent, Chris tried to change the subject.

"… So, what do you wanna do now?"

"Hm, maybe we could watch a movie, or something else?" Amy asked, her voice perking with the last word, hinting at something.

/A movie, hm…? Poor Jill…/ Chris thought to himself, looking at the ground. Amy moved back a bit, caught off guard by his reaction.

"Did I say something wrong?" She asked, sounding offended. He shook his head, looking up and smiling at her sheepishly, "No, no, I was just thinking about something that happened today. Not the brightest of things."

"You mean it was stupid?"

"… No, 'Not the cheeriest' might have fit better. Just, don't worry about it. You said a movie?" He inquired.

Amy looked a little let down, but tried to keep up a perky personality, "Yep, I have a _whooole_ set of DVDs in the cabinet, let me go get some you might like." She purred.

Chris felt a shiver run down his spine. As pretty as she was, something about that purr made him feel uncomfortable. Just as Amy had knelt down to hunt through the said cabinet below the TV, Chris' pocket vibrated. A short melody quickly played, and he grabbed his phone before Amy could even turn her head.

"Chris Redfield's Phone, who's speaking?" He greeted dully. He seemed to sit up straighter when he received a reply, "Oh, hey."

Amy turned to look at Chris, holding a few DVD cases in her hands. Who exactly was he talking to? He was being a bit rude leaving his phone on like that. She made a mental note to state that once he was off the phone. Or she could do it now.

"Who's that?" She asked quickly. Chris raised his hand to try and shush her, and she pouted in reply. "_Who?_" She asked again.

Chris sighed, putting his hand over his free ear. As rude as it might have been, this could have very well been important – Didn't she understand that his job was a 24 hour on call one?

"Are you sure? That sounds serious… Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can. No, I understand, I'd rather go than risk you guys getting hurt." He continued to the person on the other line, "Alright, tell Wesker I'll be there in a few minutes. I'd call Forest as well just incase. Alright, stay safe."

With that he flipped the phone shut and stood up. He looked at Amy apologetically.

"So, _who_ was it? Don't you know it's rude to have your phone turned on while on a date?" She quizzed him. He sighed lightly.

"It was Richard, one of the guys I work with. I know it's rude, but I'm on call twenty-four seven. I'm sorry Amy, but something's happened, and I need to go down to the station to see what's going on." He tried to explain to her. She was obviously hurt. Or annoyed.

"But, our date…" She whined quietly.

"I'm so sorry Amy.. I'll make it up to you." He said, but refrained from adding 'I promise'. He swiftly left, leaving the house and heading down the street. He looked at his phone.

/Thanks Richard, I owe you for bailing me out. I must be in debt by now./

* * *

Maybe she was just getting used to the loneliness. The light offered by the TV seemed comforting enough for her. That seemed to be a depressing fact. She'd probably go buy herself a dog tomorrow. Then she would be able to cuddle something that would actually love her back.

Jill was again in her apartment, alone once more.

She snuggled under the doona she had tucked into the corner of the couch. It was the one from her bed, so it more than covered the rest of the couch, and kept her cozy and warm. She'd pulled off all of the pillows and other fluffy things from the bed to put under her head. She was going to be lying there for awhile – She wanted make sure she had no reason to get up. Phone, remote control and other DVD cases were under the covers, next to her stomach.

She had the awkward feeling that one day watching all of these zombie movies were really going to save her life. However, she always brushed these thoughts off – The post-apocalyptic era wouldn't be in her life time.

She brought her knees up to her chest, and pressed the 'play' button on the remote. The lights were off, and she was more than happy to sit through the opening credits.

It was maybe ten, fifteen minutes into the movie, where most of the credits had faded in and out; one or two characters had been introduced, with still more to come. She put her arms around herself, unaware she was doing so.

There was a knock at the door.

Jill groaned. It must have been one of the other tenants next door. She didn't have the movie _that_ loud. There weren't even any screams just yet. They were getting so high strung these days.

She chose to ignore it – Maybe they would think that she had gone out and just left it on, even though it was late. She quickly glanced on the digital clock above the DVD player – 10:47pm. Yeah, she could get away with that.

A few minutes passed and she looked back to the TV, but just as she settled down, the knocking picked up again. She growled slightly, throwing the doona off and rolling off of the couch to the floor lazily. She picked herself up, and shivered as she noticed it was much colder without the covers.

There was another knock.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She barked impatiently. She stormed over to the door, not even bothering to have a peep through the looking glass, "What's the pr---"

"I brought the popcorn."

She looked at the very handsome visitor, surprised, "Chris, what are you doing here?"

He strolled past her, not waiting for permission to come in. He knew she would have let him in eventually regardless of her shock. After all, he _did_ indeed have the popcorn.

"What are you doing here?" She repeated, closing the door and watching him stroll over to her little set up.

He looked over his shoulder and offered her a smile. "You can't have a good movie night without popcorn." He answered, lifting his arms slightly, showing both the one cooked bag and the few uncooked packets. "Or alone."

"… I thought you were meant to be out tonight." She said quietly, walking over as he plopped down on the couch. She gave a sharp grunt, quickly yanking one of the pillows out from under him. The big lug would probably end up making it flat.

He looked at her and pouted, but got to her question. "You shouldn't assume, Jill. It makes an Ass out of u and me." He said, and then looked at the TV. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, letting his arms cross. "Besides… It's been too long since I sat and kept my friend company…"

She shook her head, hugging the pillow she had taken against her chest as she sat down beside him. "Didn't you sleep over and keep me company a few nights ago?" She quizzed.

He slipped one arm around her waist and tugged her a bit closer. "Well I mean intentionally, then. Besides, it's fucking cold, and did I hear correctly when Forest said that you had a few pornos to boot?"

"Not until three o'clock Chris, unlike you men and your random porn watching, _I_ have a schedule to keep." She answered, poking her tongue out at him. She nudged his back, seeming to hint for him to get off of the covers. He followed the silent command and stood up. Jill quickly tugged out the doona and patted the uncovered cushion next to her. He sat back down, and before he could mention anything she had thrown the doona over their legs, wrapping the rest of her side of it around her back.

"Fucking cold indeed. I think I might need to go out and buy another one of these." She stated; putting up no protest as Chris placed his arm back around her. Jill felt next to her for the DVD remote, skipping the movie back to the start. Chris did his best to try and grab the bag of popcorn he had put down without letting go of Jill. He just managed to, having to grab it with the tips of his fingers.

"You know we're going to be completely fucked to go to work tomorrow, right?" He asked.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Jill stated, not bothered by that fact at all. Chris paused, looking at her for a moment.

Jill Valentine. The vibrant, caring, beautiful friend of his. Laid-back, but stern, and dominating when she needed, or simply wanted to be. Long brown hair, gray blue eyes, dressed in her pajamas. That was his Jill Valentine. What Amy didn't like about that, he didn't understand… He didn't care.

"Just like old times…" He chuckled.

"They've never been 'old times', Chris, we just haven't done them lately." She commented, "We'll have to do this again, soon. They were always good… And it seems like you've forgotten what flavour of popcorn I like best." He scoffed, ready to say something, but stopped as Jill leaned on his side, resting her head against his shoulder, "… Don't ever change, Chris."

'_It'd just be awesome if you could, you know, change yourself a little…'_

Amy's request rung in Chris' mind. /Sorry Amy, but, somehow, Jill argument not to change means more than yours ever really could./

Jill dipped her hand into the open bag of popcorn and contently put a few of the popped kernels in her mouth. Before she could put the last one to her lips, Chris managed to turn in just the right way to lick the last piece, getting it into his mouth with ease. She shot him a playful glare, warning him not to take her food again.

She looked back to the TV, smiling. If she saw him change, there would be hell to pay.

/I've always loved you for your supposed 'flaws', I've never wanted Prince Charming…/


	8. Just a Ride

A/N;

First off I'd like to say I found the 'Breeder Bingo' at 7deadlysinners (dot) typepad (dot) com, I didn't come up with it, but I _love_ this thing and want to show their site off, too. It's really quite awesome.

You can look up 'Breeder Bingo' on photobucket and you should find it. FF won't let me put the link, silly thing.

Oh yesh, I need to remember some more gags. This chapter, the last one and the next one are lacking a bit xD;

Hm, I should play Outbreak soon…

Resident Evil still eludes my grasp!

'Just a Ride' Lyrics belong to Jem.

* * *

**Just a Ride**

_**Don't be scared, Don't hide your eyes  
It may feel so real inside, But don't forget, it's just a ride**_

"… Now why the hell… Did I do that?" Jill sighed to herself.

She looked at her hair – Most of it cut off, held in her hand. She held the knife in her other hand, even though it would have been both safer and smarter to use a pair of scissors for the job. She shook her head, walking to the kitchen. She could still hear Chris snoring on the couch.

She strolled over to the bin, tossing away the cut strands. She put the knife back on the bench, and leaned against the fridge. She knew it was a stupid thing to do, and an even stupider reason to do it. But at least it wasn't the exact same look. It was just down past her chin, not down to her shoulders. And because of the knife, it seemed rather choppy.

Of course, she could really only hope that she could still manage to hide her hair in her hat – It might not have been long enough for that now. Well, she'd find a way – It was what she got for acting without thinking.

She quickly ducked into her room to get changed, trying to brush some of the clinging cut hair from the top of her pajama top. It didn't take her too long get dressed, used to having to rush. She checked herself in the mirror once more, fighting the urge to smash it. She didn't need seven years bad luck. Her mind wondered back to Chris – Who would still be asleep.

She headed back to the lounge room, stepping over the DVD cases and popcorn that had fallen. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to start throwing popcorn at each other at one in the morning. Oh well.

She strolled over to the couch, leaning over Chris. He seemed to be sleeping quite heavily, peacefully. She stood for a few moments, just watching him with a smile. But she shook herself out of it, and put a hand on his shoulder, shaking him.

"Come on Chris, time to get up." She said, shaking him a bit harder. He moaned, batting Jill's hand away and rolling onto his over side.

"It's too early…" He groaned, "Can't we just take the day off…?"

"I already took one off, and I'm not leaving you in my apartment alone." She said, placing her hands on her hips, "Come on, Redfield." Chris was quiet for a moment, before grabbing onto the doona tightly.

"No." He said simply. There was a growl in the back of Jill's throat, trying to cover up her amusement. He was acting like a child – So childish, she loved it.

"Up now, Mister." She said, grabbing the doona and tugging. He held on, tugging it back. Although there wasn't much range for him to move his arm while doing so, the force still caused Jill to call, landing near his chest. He moved an arm out from under the covers, putting it over her back to keep her down.

"You know you'll just up ad collapse at work, we got four hours sleep!" He stated. She struggled under his grip, not amused by the fact that he seemed dar stronger than her.

"If you take the day off," She warned, "I'll make you clean up _all_ of this mess, then make you go shopping afterwards. Plus, I'll call up with some new errands whenever you've finished one.

He groaned again, letting go of her. She stood up, dusting herself off. He rolled over, covering his eyes, which just flat out hurt from lack of sleep. It was his own fault, so Jill took no pity. "Fine…" He mumbled, sitting up.

Jill shook her head, "At this rate, I'm going to have to start keeping a spare Uniform of yours here." She said, walking off to grab her keys. "You'll have to go like that, we'll be late if we stop at your place."

* * *

Sure enough, Chris had collapsed on his desk at work. Richard was still without his own desk, one should add, while Joseph happily did his work on the makeshift bed that would be on the ground for some time. He would throw a variety of teddy bears at anyone that stood on it while he was working.

On the note of throwing things, Kenneth and Forest had made a new little game – See if you can poke Chris in the eye with an airplane. Although Kenneth was a bit too skittish to really try and aim properly. Forest had originally been planning the game for something else. She if you can get a paper airplane down Jill's top. But, alas, Valentine hadn't worn that outfit since.

Coming close to break time, Jill stood up from her desk. She looked down at her paper work. She was trying to finish going through a report one of the people in the RPD section had asked her to check over. It was tiring, and she just wanted to get out. Plus, something else was on her mind.

Whist Wesker was studying his camcorder again, Jill made a quick sneak for the door, whispering to Richard to say she'd just gone to the bathroom if Wesker noticed she had left early.

She quickly slipped out of the door, heading down the hall. She shivered as she could hear the booming, yeti-like voice of Irons in another room. She paused, clenching her fist and heading to the door of the room. She wanted to make sure that it wasn't a female office he was yelling at – Just in case. Some of the new people were so naïve, they'd never see it coming. She peeked through the door, seeming a young new recruit. But it was indeed a girl. She stood at the door, watching. No-one else was in that part of the office, and Jill's white knight syndrome wouldn't leave her alone.

Whatever the argument was, it was escalating quite quickly. It wasn't even and argument, the poor newbie was just quivering on the spot, unable to come up with any words, or actions, to defend herself. As soon as Irons grabbed her shoulder, however, seeming to change his expression, Jill quickly walked in, making sure to cause a lot of noise as the door slammed against the wall.

"Irons, Sir!" She said loudly, giving a slight salute she had been ordered to give since she had begun at the RPD. He turned to look at her, not seeming pleased with the interruption.

"What do you want, Ms. Valentine?" He asked, less than enthusiastically.

She cleared her throat, noticing the young policewoman look over, too. "Captain Wesker requested for me to inform you than he needs to see you," She said, looking from one to the other, "Right way, for an urgent matter."

"You've got to be kidding…" Irons mumbled, letting go of the policewoman's shoulder and storming past Jill, making sure to knock her as he went, trying to intimidate her. If she wouldn't have the high possibility of getting fired for it, she would have turned around then and there and shot him in the back of the leg.

"Are you alright?" Jill asked once Irons was out of ear shot, looking at the police woman. She nodded, unsure of whether to act embarrassed or upset.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She asked, back to trying to act confident.

"… Be careful of him." Jill warned, "I know I might just seem like a random officer to you, but you really need to listen to me. Be, careful, of that man. When you get a chance… There's an officer here named Kevin, he's in the RPD section like you… Talk to him, he'll show you the ropes, and explain why you shouldn't be in the same room with Irons alone." With that, she left, leaving the police woman completely confused.

She made a mental note to ask the dog trainers to start using dummies that looked like Irons to train the police dogs. She wouldn't tell anyone that she'd 'accidentally' let one loose.

* * *

Jill wondered down the street, making sure to notice all of the stores. She knew what she was looking for, just, not exactly where… She made a stop outside one certain store, pushing open the glass door and wondering in. The room erupted with the sounds of barking, meowing, squeaking… All the sounds of a healthy pet shop. She was still in uniform, which immediately made the owner of the store worry.

He walked over to her, greeting, and tried not to seem skittish – He hadn't done anything wrong, but it was just one of those sorts of things. She gave him a smile, more of just to assure him that nothing was wrong, not that she was happy.

"I'm just looking for a pet…" She said, letting him calm down.

"You know, we don't keep trained attack dogs in the store…" The store owner reminded her. She gave a nod, not paying too much attention as she walked past him, over to the displays.

"I'm here for myself, not my work." She explained to him, "I just happened to think that my break time would be the only time I got to come down here and look."

The store owner found it a bit odd, but let her be.

Puppies, Kitten, Fish… The store kept a good amount of them. Small birds chirped from their glass enclosures while larger birds squawked from their cages.

Yes, puppies were cute and cuddly. As much as she wanted one, puppies grew up, and if she was going to get a dog, she wanted a big dog – And she could never get away with having a big dog in the apartment.

Kittens were quite nice, too, but from her experiences, cats didn't seem to like her all that much. They must have had something against her since she was a child, and she wasn't going to tempt fate.

Fish. You can't hug those. Guilty as she was for petting them good night when she was a youngster (Perhaps that was why most of them died within the few months), it wasn't want she really needed. The phrase 'shooting fish in a barrel' also rung in her head. Not too good.

Rabbits… Maybe. They were big, and fluffy. But if it got out there would be very small chance it would make it back to the apartment alive. She decided to give those a miss.

She tapped on one of the glasses of a display, catching the attention of whatever inhabitant it was inside. She gave a slight smile. Yes, that was definitely what she had come for.

She walked back to the counter just as the store owner finished dealing with another customer, quickly explaining what she wanted to purchase.

"I'm not sure we have any carry cages left for that sort of thing…" He warned her, hinting that she could come back another day.

"That's alright. Just give me a leash and we'll be fine." She shrugged, looking back to the display. The creature inside had pressed itself up against the glass to watch her. That was definitely the type of creature she wanted roaming around the apartment.

* * *

Wesker cleared his throat, as the rest of STARS stared.

"Miss Valentine, may I ask you something?" He asked, his voice calm for the statement.

"Shoot." She replied casually.

"Is that a _ferret_ on your shoulder?" He hissed.

"Yep." She answered simply. And she was certainly telling the truth. A sable coloured Ferret stretched out along her shoulders, looking more like an exotic scarf than anything else. Its head kept flicking back and forth, looking at the other STARS members.

"What in the world possessed you to bring such a thing into the building?!" Wesker snapped, standing up.

"What's the matter Captain, worried that people will think he's cuter than you?" Jill quizzed, tilting her head to the side a bit, just nudging the ferret. "His name is Gabriel, for future reference."

Wesker sat back down and glared. "I want it out of my sight." He demanded.

"Then just don't look over at my desk." She shrugged lightly. "It's not like you stare at me from across the room every moment of work."

Wesker mumbled a few curses under his breath. She clearly wasn't going to be stepping down, and he didn't have anything currently to threaten her with. This would require some thinking for him to do.

"I always thought Ferrets were red." Chris commented, seeming awake now. He'd gotten off of his desk and walked over to inspect the new addition. The new addition, however, didn't seem pleased with this – not one bit.

"You're thinking of Weasels, Chris. I don't think Ferrets come in that sort of---" Jill began, but was cut off by a very loud yelp. Chris' hand had wondered too close to Jill's shoulder. And obviously, the new addition didn't like that one bit, either, and had quickly latched onto Chris' hand, growling in the strange way that ferrets do.

Chris tried to move his hand back,

"Can… Can you get him off, please?" Chris asked with a whimper.

"You can take god knows how many bullets and stab wounds, and you can't handle a ferret trying to defend it's territory?" Jill asked, looking at Chris strangely, "… You big pansy."

* * *

As it does, time went on. Rebecca had bandaged Chris' fingers, palm and back of his hand, as Gabriel had chomped on other parts of Chris' hand while they were trying to remove him.

The phone had rung, and Jill was talking quietly through the phone on her desk. It was puzzling why her mobile hadn't been called. She spoke without much enthusiasm in her voice, as if talking to who ever it was seemed more like a chore than a delight. The other lets her be. Her quiet tone was moving to a more irritable one as the conversation progressed.

"Alright, goodbye Mum… Love ya…" Jill sighed, sounding annoyed at this point, hanging up the phone as quickly as she could. She leaned back in her chair and sighed in frustration. Jill pulled out what looked like a bingo sheet from her drawer, grabbed a pen, and casually ticked one off. "One more and I'll have bingo…" She sighed.

"What's that?" Rebecca asked, looking over her shoulder.

"It's a Breeder Bingo sheet. Richard found it for me awhile ago when I was complaining that friends and relatives were bitching I should have kids by now with Justin." She explained.

The whole room paid attention. Chris immediately started listening, though tried to make it seem like he wasn't paying attention.

"Justin?" Rebecca asked, tilting her head.

"My boyfriend." Jill stated simply. There was the unnoticed sound of Chris snapping his pencil in two from gripping it so strongly with his unbitten hand.

"So _that's_ his name!" Richard said, "You never told us what it was."

Jill gave an emotionless shrug. "I never saw the point. None of you would have ended up meeting him, anyway." She tried to turn her attention back to the bingo sheet. "Everyone keeps throwing these excuses at me when I say I don't want children. The funniest one on here that I've actually been told is 'People who don't want children are selfish', while the most degrading one is 'Children are a woman's greatest achievement.'."

She clenched her teeth, seeming very, un-amused. "Can you believe something like that? And people have said that to my _face_, other women! As soon as I have enough money I'm going to go get my tubes tied, just so they can shut the fuck up."

"Wow you're… Really opinionated on the subject, aren't you…?" Forest asked, raising an eyebrow at the ranting woman.

"When it comes to _my_ womb, yes I am!!" She shouted, throwing her arms up in the air. The poor ferret on her shoulders let out a squeak and hung onto the fabric of her shirt for dear life.

Jill eased back into her chair, grumbling to herself as she got back to work, leaving Gabriel to hike up her back.

Not much happened.

Very little happened.

Pretty much, nothing happened.

Absolutely nothing.

Maybe some work.

But nothing eventful.

…It was quiet.

"… Has anyone noticed how nothing's happened?" Joseph asked, out of the blue.

Wesker looked up from his desk, nudging his glasses closer to his eyes once more, "Yes… Quite, worrisome…"

"… I have the feeling some sort of entity's gotten distracted reading a book about a pregnant woman being kidnapped…" Edward commented, looking up slowly.

"That would explain a lot…" Kevin nodded.

"No it wouldn't!" Joseph protested, waving his arms around. Suddenly, there was a short, musical sound. Someone had gotten a message.

Jill glanced at her phone. It was for her. Everyone else seemed to settle back into their routine.

With a few clicks Jill opened up the message, seeming a little surprised of who it was from. Claire? Chris' little sister?

'Hey Jill! Long time no see. Hey, are you free after work? I need someone to bitch to – And it's been too long :) Two birds with one stone!'

She looked at the clock. It was about an hour until work was done. She looked back to her phone. She appreciated how Claire actually used full words instead of chat.

'Can I bring my ferret?' she quickly dialed into the phone, before putting it down and continuing to write. Within a few minutes the tune rung again. She grabbed the phone, opening up the reply.

'A ferret? Nice. Yeah, sure. That Café a block down from your work?'

'Sound good. See you then, Claire.'


	9. Little Sister

A/N;

Discussion with a younger sister… Those are always dangerous.

I find it ironic that I used to hate Claire with a passion o_o; Now I god damn love her XD

Resident Evil my try to eat me, but I don't own it ;_;

'Little Sister' lyrics belong to Queens of the Stone Age.

* * *

**Little Sister**

_**Little sister can't you find another way, No more livin' life behind a shadow  
You whisper secrets in my ear, Slowly dancing cheek to cheek**_

Work came to an end and Jill headed off to the café that she happened to know. It was really the only one around, so it was not hard to guess which one Claire had meant.

She could never figure out why the cafés were open this late, anyway. But regardless, when she got there, Claire was contently sitting down with a cup of hot chocolate.

Jill slipped past the few people in her way, making her way over to the table and sitting down opposite the younger Redfield sibling. Jill quickly ordered a coffee, wanting to get straight to catching up.

"Well well well, hasn't it been awhile?" Jill asked with a smile, "How have you been, Claire?"

Claire offered a smile in return, "I've been alright… Studying's a pain in the arse, but I know I gotta do it." She laughed, feeling like she was still bitching about high school, "But, uh… Something's bothered me recently."

As Jill's coffee arrived, she leaned forward to listen, "Go on, Claire."

Claire gave a bit of an awkward shrug, "You know a girl by the name of Amy, right? Amy E…"

"Amy Ellis." Jill sighed, "Yeah, she's one of my friends."

Claire frowned, seeming not too content with the woman's name. "That'd be the one… The one Chris hooked up with, what, two freaking days ago?"

"Freaking you say? Mind your language sweetheart." Jill teased.

"Oh, fuck language, I'm royally pissed." She huffed, taking a quick sip of her hot chocolate. "Jill, did you give this Amy woman my phone number?" Jill shook her head.

"Then she has _a lot_ of explaining to do!"

"… Go on." Jill said, seeming more than just a little confused.

Claire brushes a few strands of hair behind her ears and sits back, crossing her arms.

"I'm sitting in the dorm trying to study, past ten at night, mind you. And I get a call. Don't know the number, let it ring out, but they were persistent. So I answer it around the fourth time they call, and guess who it is? That Amy chick my brother's brought up to me once or twice. She didn't even seem to consider that, you know, ten at night is a little late to call up someone you don't know."

"Continue." Jill said, taking a sip of her coffee.

"She says who she is, that she's dating Chris and that she knows you, then starts pretty much interrogating me. Asking stuff about Chris, what he's honestly like, asks about his friend, if he knows any other girls, who's Richard, and you! She starts asking me about you! And she just sounded so, Arg! And I know she's up to something, just from how she was phrasing everything! God, I _wish_ I had just hung up on her then and there! She's making it pretty obvious that she isn't happy with how Chris is. She sounds like one of those twits who likes to change bad boys!" Claire went on angrily, gripping her cup tightly, "Chris isn't a 'bad boy' type, there's nothing to fix, and you can't even fix those people to begin with!"

"… Claire, you need to calm down, you're ranting." Jill said cautiously. Claire paused to cleared her head a bit, but obviously not enough.

"I just don't see what there is I can do… Unless I hit her with my motorcycle!" Claire said, suddenly beginning to think out a different situation.

"Claire…"

"Or if I hit her on the back of the head hard enough, she'll get amnesia!" Claire stated valiantly, seeming almost determined with the plan. She let go of her cup, moving her hands a fair bit while she talked.

"… Claire…"

"And if I don't do that, then oh god, it might turn out she has a kid or something, who'll randomly turn up at their doorstep!"

"Claire, are you hearing me at all?"

"And, Jesus Christ, what if there's a wedding at some point?! Some random previously known lover will object! Not that that's bad, but it would be devastating! "

"Earth to Claire…"

"And, and what if they adopt?! Oh man, Chris would make a great dad, but that Amy! She'd be horrible! Then she'd throw the blame on Chris!"

"You're being silly now Claire…"

"And what if she gets pr---"

Jill butted in at this point, not seeing where it could end otherwise. "How many soap operas have you been watching lately?" Jill asked calmly.

"A lot!!" Claire replied, throwing her arms up in the air. "They're all that's on in the dorm rooms!!"

"Claire, you need to calm down, you're acting very… Out of character." Jill said, placing her arms on the table and leaning forward, still handing her cup in both hands. Claire sighed and did her best to settle down.

"Yeah, I know… It's just, Chris is my brother…" She said meekly, knowing that she couldn't quite justify how she had been thinking. Jill nodded and gave her a pat on the shoulder, having to lean over the drinks to do so. She understood – Really, Chris was the only thing Claire had left after their parents' death. As friendly and loving as she was, she seemed less than keen of getting attached to people anymore, no matter how misleading her kind behaviour to strangers was.

"I don't know what I'd do without Chris, and all the things that girl was asking about… I'm worried what affect she's going to have." Claire said, shaking his head, "Why couldn't _you_ have been interested in Chris?"

Jill quickly sat back, shuffling in her seat a tad. Claire didn't seem to notice, just staring at her drink.

"You _know_ I'm already taken, Claire, it's a hollow question…" Jill said, scratching the back of her head. "And me and Chris, we're just friends."

"Friends make the best couples. If it ends, there's still friendship, and you already know the person." Claire said, looking to the side. "You don't… Try and change the person like that Amy chick's hinting at."

"If she touches my Chris, I swear to god I'll break her wrists." Jill stated bitterly without thinking.

"_My_?" Claire asked, calling her out.

"He's my friend, it's bros before hoes, I have more authority than she does." she said quickly, trying her best to defend herself. Claire seemed to buy this.

"Heh, you make a great family friend, Jill." She smirked, "I couldn't support that logic any more if I tried!" Claire seemed to be getting a little worked up again.

"I may have only heard her over the phone, but she sounds so stuck up, and demanding, and expecting, and she was acting all higher above me like she was top dog, and you cut your hair!" Claire explained.

Jill jolted up straight, surprise pretty clear on her face. "W-well that was a strange turn to the conversation!" Jill said, looking Claire in the eyes. "How did you even notice? _Why_ did you even notice."

"_Why_ did _you_ cut your hair?" Claire countered. Jill bit her bottom lip.

/… Cause Chris seems to like short hair better…/ She thought to herself, seeming ashamed for her reasoning. She looked back at Claire.

"It gets really annoying having to tuck it into my hat every morning, and it's summer soon, so it'll be hot and…" Her voice faded out as she looked away, losing confidence to answer.

They both nodded slowly and stayed silent for a moment. It was a tad awkward, that one silence, considering everything else around them was bustling.

"So, what did you bring me out here for to begin with?" Jill inquired.

"I don't know… I needed to vent, and I knew Amy was your friend… I guess I was hoping you could assure me that I had nothing to worry about." Claire answered quietly, "… I'm scared of losing my brother."

"Claire, I can definitely assure you, _you_ have nothing to worry about. Chris loves you more than anything in the world – You're his family, and he'd do anything for you. You'll always be his number one priority. No-one else could ever take that away." Jill smiled, seeming to know what she was talking about. Chris did often talk about Claire at work, even if he hadn't been lately. His mind had been other places, so it was forgiven.

Claire smiled, seeming far more at ease now, "Thanks, Jill. But what about you?"

Jill looked at her drink once again. "I've got everything to worry about." She mumbled quietly to herself, though Claire picked it up. She knew this one would be no good calling her out on. Jill shook her head and looked up. "Everything's going to be fine for me, you just look after yourself."

"We should do this again some time," Claire said, "Minus the tense feeling… You, me and Chris."

"And we'll make him pay." Jill smirked.

"If we can get away with it!" Claire laughed, "Most expensive thing on the list, waiter!" Claire paused for a moment.

"Oh, Jill, I need to take you shopping in the next few days." Claire mentioned. Jill tilted her head. There was a slight squeak. She had completely forgotten about poor Gabriel sitting on her shoulder. She gave him a quick pat as an apology.

"Sorry." She whispered to him quickly, before turning back to Claire, "… Can you run that by me again?"

"There's the shop and there's a dress I want to see you wear." She stated simply, "So I'm dragging you to go try it on."

"That's sweet Claire but… I don't swing that way." Jill joked, a smirk on her face.

"Ha, Ha. Funny Jill." Claire said tonelessly, though with a slight smile on her face. "Just trust me on this one, got it?"

Jill nodded and stood up, "Got it, call me some time and we'll go get it. I should be heading home."

"I'll see you around."

* * *

She arrived at him, setting straight to letting Gabriel get used to new home. And training him to respond when she called for him, or to the squeak of a toy. It was going to take a bit, but she'd a rather not lose the new little addition to her 'family'.

She wore herself out far quicker than Gabriel had, and slumped on the couch. It was still set up from the previous night. She considered just sleeping there again tonight, and she'd managed to fix it, at least. It seemed Chris tossed and turned a lot during his sleep. Gabriel busied himself running through the messed up doona.

Jill looked back up at the ceiling, and wondered how much long she had to get ready for the mission in two or so weeks. Then wondered how long she would have to endure being alone. She felt a pat on her hand, and looked down to see Gabriel. She picked him up, and gave him an awkward cuddle. Ferrets were strange things to hug.


	10. So Sick of Love Songs

A/N;

What's worse : A Ferret to the face, or a Ferret down the pants?

;_; Must stop leaving chapters on angst paragraphs!

Resident Evil owns my soul, split with Shadow Hearts and Silent Hill, not the other way around Dx

'So Sick of Love Songs' lyrics belongs Ne-yo.

* * *

**So Sick of Love Songs**

_**And I'm so sick of love songs, So tired of tears, So done with wishing you were still here,  
Said I'm so sick of love songs so sad and slow, So why can't I turn off the radio?**_

One week, one more week.

Just seven more days and she could leave, flee from there. Do her job, save people, get her mind off everything running through it. There wasn't much of 'everything' in her head. It was still the same problem. The same men.

She managed to open one eye, tired. It was about seven in the morning. She could get some more sleep, but she could hear Gabriel darting around his cage next to her. She let one of her arms drop off of the side of the couch and opened the cage.

She still hadn't moved back to her usual sleeping arrangements. She was tired of sleeping in a double bed destined for only one person. She could hear Gabriel running around like a mad thing, probably doing some sort of ferret barrel rolls as he went. She smiled to herself, imagining the image. Her eyes were still foggy, and there would be no way she could see anything other than a blur.

She yawned loudly, planning on getting more sleep. But there was the sound of a lock unlocking, a door opening, and footsteps. She quickly sat up, opening her eyes. She nearly stumbled off the couch, just managing to steady herself on the couches side arm.

The front door wasn't too far from the couch – Actually, it basically lead straight into the lounge room, so she could see the door from where she was. Her eyes remained out of focus.

"Chris…?" She asked dully, just managing to make out a male figure.

"'Chris'? Isn't that one of the guys you work with?" A voice asked. It made her jump.

She sat properly on the couch, crossing her legs. She rubbed her eyes vigorously, trying desperately to get them to work. The sides were still fuzzy, but she looked back to the man. Dirt blonde hair but carefully cut, cleanly shaved, black suit with the jacket taken off and over his shoulder, white work shirt. She covered one of her eyes and turned her head to look away.

"… I thought you weren't coming home for another month, Justin." She said, her voice as emotionless as she could make it.

"I came back early for you, babe." He tried to assure her. She seemed unimpressed, and stood up. 'Babe' was a phrase she hadn't head in a long time, and as guilty as she felt for it, she would have preferred hearing it from a certain other man that her affections had moved on to.

"Right." Was all that she managed to come back with. She turned her back to him and took a few steps away. Gabriel had gone quiet, watching the newcomer. He was once again, not amused.

"What's wrong with you lately, Jill?" Justin asked, stepping over the things on the floor. The place was mess – What the hell had she been doing?

"There's nothing wrong with me." She answered simply, not turning to look at him. He shifted feet, feeling uneasy about the treatment he had received. This was the first time they had actually come face to face with each other for a long time. Why was she treating him so coldly? Shouldn't she have run into his embrace or something by now?

"I don't believe that." He said simply, taking a step forward, "Sweetheart, tell me what's wrong. I'm here for you."

She quickly turned around, a glare in her eyes that could turn someone to stone if this were a fantasy world. "Here for me?" She spat, "Yeah, only until your next business call!"

Justin made a grab for her shoulder, but she quickly swatted his hand away and took an extra step back. She didn't say another word, only continued to give him a glare.

This was something that happened in every relationship… That was what Justin was trying to assure himself, at least. "You… Cut your hair." He said, just now noticing it's short length.

"Yeah, about a week ago. If you have been here, you would have noticed." She growled. He flinched, completely caught off guard by her tone. She put her arms around herself and looked at the ground. "… I'm sorry, Justin. I just… I think I need to be alone, for a little bit…" She said quietly.

He took a step closer to her, then another. She took one step back. "Don't." She said sternly. He took another step. "Don't, damn it."

He paused, considering – There was little threat in her voice, she wouldn't follow through with anything she was going to do. He took another step closer, reaching his hand out once more.

"For god's sake, don't make me throw a possum at your face!" She snapped. He raised an eyebrow, completely caught off guard by that statement. Who wouldn't be?

"A possum, at my face? What does that have to do with anything?!" He asked, bewildered. But before he could even see Jill turn her back again, his vision was blinded by a flash of sable fur latched onto his face, and some sort of rabid animal sound drowning out his ears. He fell over from both the force and the surprise of Gabriel launching himself at his face.

"Absolutely nothing, it's his attack phrase. Smart little guy, isn't he?" She asked, unbuttoning her pajama top, "No-one excepts a Ferret when you say Possum. You should see him take on the mail man."

She walked past the couch, heading for one of the doors. She grabbed a squeaky toy off of the ground and gave it a quick squeeze. Gabriel quickly detached from Justin's face and ran after Jill, climbing up her leg and jumping onto his happy perch on her shoulder.

"I'm going to go get changed." She said plainly. Justin sat up, feeling the scratch and bite marks now over his face. He couldn't even figure out what the hell had just happened. He watched her head into one of the rooms, locking the door behind her. He couldn't figure it out for the life of him. What had happened since he had been away?

Rubbing a wound on his forehead, he wandered over to the door, knocking on it slightly. He could hear Jill behind it, stripping off. It had been so long his mind could really only imagine, and he pinched the bridge of his nose just incase – The last thing he needed was a nose bleed.

"… Maybe you could let me in, and we could do something?" He asked, with a quick smirk, "… Unless they changed your work schedule, you have plenty of time before you've got to go to work."

She knew exactly what he was hinting at. She shook her head as she clipped the back of her bra. "Sorry Justin, but my work _does_ start earlier than when you left. That sucks, doesn't it?"

Justin groaned to himself. Maybe this was divine punishment. Yes, he had given into temptation while he was away – more than once. But he had regretted it. But it was the only chances he was given in a long time. Surely Jill had given in once or twice to while he was away. That thought angered him, but if it made it so that he, too, was alright, then he would let it slip. "Then just be late, Jill."

But in reality, Jill had been a fool, and kept loyal – Probably letting her one chance get away from her.

Jill sighed, slipping on her shirt. Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe she was just being a bitch. Maybe she was PMSing. If she figured it out, she would apologize, but for now, all she wanted to do was leave. … Leave many things, she wanted out. But maybe there was time to mend things now. She thought to Justin, how much she had originally missed him, and how the loneliness slowly turned to sadness, which turned to resentment, which turned to anger. Love was such a strange thing.

"Maybe when I get home. Keep it in your pants." She said, slipping her belts and straps on.

"Easy for you to say…" Justin said quietly to himself, Jill not hearing. He moved awa, just in time. Jill opened the door, taking Gabriel off of her shoulder and putting him back in his cage. She looked at Justin, serious.

"I can't take him in with me… I'm counting on you to feed him and let him get some exercise for me, okay?" She asked, before throwing him the squeaky toy, "If you lose sight of him, just give that a squeak… And he'll come running."

Justin looked at the creature in the cage, giving it a dirty look. He wanted to strangle the beast.

"Please…" Jill said pleadingly, "He's the only one I have left." With that, she reluctantly walked over to Justin, gave him a kiss on the forehead and left.

Only one she has? Did she mean it was the only ferret she had, or the only person she had…? That Jill, she was so confusing, it fucked with his mind. He growled and sat on the couch. His mind wasn't the thing that he wanted fucked.

* * *

Rebecca didn't make much eye contact with the men of STARS that day. She talked, yes, but she looked at the ground. It was puzzling to say the least. Jill was watching her carefully, trying to figure it out.

As Rebecca buried herself at her desk, it dawned on Jill. She got up, nearly racing over to Rebecca just as she had turned around. Before Rebecca knew it, she was practically pinned to her desk.

"Billy made you a woman last night, didn't he?!" Jill gasped. Rebecca squeaked loudly, pushing her body back against the desk and shrinking down a bit, bending her knees, the squeak was only thing able to come out of her mouth at that point. The men hauled arse out of there before Jill could make them, saying they needed to have a girl talk.

Rebecca's cheeks flushed a deep red.

"Y.. Yeah…" She admitted shyly, embarrassed. Jill took a step back, putting her hands together.

"That's awesome! Congrats, Becky!" Jill cheered, giving her surprised workmate an equally surprising hug. "How was it?"

"I… It was… Great." Rebecca squeaked, only used to joking about the situation. Jill had once again taken a step away from Rebecca as the youngster looked away.

"It k… kinda… Really hurt…" Rebecca confined to Jill. Jill just gave her a pat on the head.

"Aw! Becca, the poor, naïve, sweet, recently deflowered little girl! It's generally like that. Hope you didn't freak out about bleeding." Jill teased, causing Rebecca to huff.

"Hey, according to you, I'm a woman now." She stated. She paused. "… So, you do believe me?" Jill raised an eyebrow, and nodded.

"… So, you don't need this…?" Rebecca asked sheepishly, digging a camcorder tape out of one of her pockets.

"… You actually taped it?" Jill asked.

"You said you wouldn't believe me otherwise." Rebecca answered, once again embarrassed. "Do you need it or not…?"

Jill studied her for a moment. She was still blushing like mad, and was moving her hips a bit awkwardly, as if reminded of the 'K.. Kinda… Really hurt…' feeling she'd experienced. Jill quickly took the tape from Rebecca's hands.

"I'm not one to turn down free porn." She smiled, just as the men started coming back into the room. Rebecca stomped her foot.

"That's not fair!" She stated, trying to grab the tape back. Jill put her hand out, against Rebecca's forehead, keeping her at bay. Rebecca whined to herself, cursing her height.

"Well, congratulations Rebecca…" Jill said, shaking her head as Rebecca still tried desperately to snatch the tape back, "You're officially getting more sex than I am."

"Ooooouch…" Most of the men said through their teeth upon hearing that statement as they sat down.

"Oh, shut up." Jill said half-heartedly, slipping the tape in her pocket as Rebecca finally accepted defeat, walking back to her desk.

"So, that means either Rebecca got pretty much no sleep last night, repeatedly, or…" Chris began, walking over to Jill.

"Say it, and I'll punch you in the kidneys the next time you're not looking." Jill warned.

"_Or_, you haven't been laid in ages." He finished.

"God I hope your kidneys have insurance." She said, putting her hands on her hips. He took a step closer to her, standing right in front of her, not giving her much personal space. "You're lucky Gabriel isn't here, or your nose would need insurance, too."

"You've been training him to attack my nose?" Chris asked. She took a step forward, getting as close to him as the day that she had worn the tube top.

"Not your nose particularly – But he knows a command to attack someone's face." She answered simply.

"You're a worry, Valentine."

"Hey, women like me who have gone a little too long without some lovin' can act like that." She stated with a shrug, looking him in the eye, as well as she could considering he was still a taller than she was.

"You know, if you'd told me that, I could have probably given you a hand." He said, surprisingly straightforward. Jill took a step away and shook her head.

"Tsk tsk, now Mr. Redfield, you should know better than to tease a woman who may as well have been wearing a chastity belt for the past six months." She said to him, one hand on her hip while the other waggled a finger in front of his face, "Naughty naughty. It's very cruel, you know."

"Well Ms. Valentine, you shouldn't act like you would have said yes then." He said, crossing his arms.

"Oh, but I do believe that Mrs. Redfield would give me some good stabs in the back for it if I did." She stated, poking her tongue out at him. He was thankful she still had her humour. He certainly hoped that was her humour, at least.

"I never thought _I _of all people would say this, but stop talking about sex and get back to work!" Wesker commanded from his desk.

The two gave grunts directed at Wesker, before looking at each other. They locked eyes for a few more seconds, and then headed back to their desks.

* * *

Work dragged on. And on. And on. The minutes just seemed to trickle past. Maybe it was because they had heavier work loads than usual – Joseph even had to be assigned to running back and fourth, throwing papers at people left and right. It was like a massacre, paper cuts everywhere! But there was no time to mourn the injured.

In the office, Forest had brought his hair over his shoulder and was inspecting it – Trying to make sure no small creatures had decided to sneak in while he wasn't looking. He had once had a very bad incident where Brad, teamed with Joseph, who let fire ants loose in there while he was dozing. He was determined to make sure he never went through that sort of pain again. Ever.

After going through each individual strand he found himself bored. He stood up, stretched, and looked around. Everyone was working, and Joseph was still running. Well, everyone except for Chris, who had managed to sneak out about half an hour ago. Regardless, Jill seemed to be just as bored as he was – leaning back in her chair, throwing pens at her work, aiming for a bulls-eye she had scribbled on top of some of it. Thankfully, it was a spare piece of paper, and not an important document.

"Yo, Jill," He began. She stopped and looked over, a red pen between her fingers. "Feel like stretching you legs and going down to the vending machines with me?"

She nodded and stood up. She pushed her chair back, and brought up one leg to rest her foot on the top of her desk. She leaned forward, trying to touch her toes – Her legs must have been hurting for her to do stretches like that. As soon as she was done, she headed over to the door, Forest following.

"Ah, god! Charlie Horse, Charlie Horse!" Joseph shouted, and the sound of him hitting the floor, followed by a whole bunch of papers could be heard. "Oh god, the paper cuts!"

"Oh, be a man!" Barry stated simply, doing his best not to laugh and damage Joseph's ego anymore than it had been.

A quick trip down the halls, through a few doors, out to an area near the back car park. It was quite a walk, and they thanked every deity known to man for it.

"Thank God, Thank Buddha, Thank Raptor Jesus, Thank…" Forest had begun about half way through their walk.

"… You don't know any others, do you?" Jill asked, looking at him with a smirk.

"Does Zeus count?" Forest quizzed.

"He might, I'll have to check some sort of handbook." She replied with a laugh, before hearing garbage cans tip over. Both quickly looked to the side as they exited to their destination – There was a group of dogs, the ones Forest had no doubt been complaining about.

Forest was just about to make a snappy comment, when Kevin from the RPD section appeared. He remembered Wesker bringing up the Kevin was the one trying to handle the canine problem. There were a lot of yelps and noise, as both Forest and Jill raised an eyebrow at the scene.

Yes, Kevin had come along – With a leaf blower. Some of the dogs… Were only small, and pretty much went flying right away when he turned it on, while other dogs were caught off guard and fell over, before the group retreated.

"VICTORY!" Kevin cheered triumphantly, turning to a police woman that Jill recognized from not too long ago, "You see? I told you it would work! Thank god, I didn't want to break out the flamethrowers on the mutts!"

"… I still say you could have just called the Dog Catchers." The policewoman said, shaking her head.

"What?! They neuter the poor bastards! As a fellow male, I can't be responsible for that happening to them!" Kevin protested.

Jill put a hand on Forest's shoulder, tugging him off in the other direction, "This… Seems like one of those things we just don't get involved in."

Forest nodded; turning in the direction he was being lead and headed over to a group of vending machines. Ah, yes, the vending machines. A whole division in the station may have gotten a complete arse whooping verbally for using Irons' money to buy them, but it was one of the best things ever brought.

Jill shoved her hands in her pockets, not intending to get anything. She was just interested in the walk. Forest quickly grabbed his wallet out of his vest, opening it up (and being thankful that no moths flew out), and quickly went through the usual ritual one does with a vending machine. However, maybe the vending machine didn't believe Zeus could count… As it refused to function for poor Forest.

Forest cursed and slammed his fist against the vending machine, which he quickly regretted doing.

"Damn machine ate my money, again!" He yelled, nursing his slowly bruising hand. Jill chuckled and shook her head. She was just about to recommend they go find a different machine when from the corner of her eye, she spotted Chris. And Amy.

Jill couldn't stop her head from turning just enough to watch the scene – They may have been there awhile, as it ended with Chris giving Amy a quick kiss goodbye.

Jill had never realised something until now – She was the jealous type, more than one would expect.

"Fuck!" She spat, turning her body and delivering a hard kick to the poor vending machine. Forest jumped back from shock. Maybe as a way of saying 'I'm so sorry!' the vending machine, with it's brand new dent, spat out the can of drink Forest so desired. Jill caught this and tossed it to him before beginning to storm away.

"Jill! What were you thinking?! Don't you know _soda _vending machines are the leading killers in the vending machine industry?!" He called, waving his arms and going after her.

Coincidently, the machine did fall over from the effort of spitting out the drink, and as things would have it, Wesker came, lifted the machine back up with one hand, and set back to work. Much to the amazement of some young school children watching, one should mention.

Jill only managed to stay up in the office for a few minutes, just as Chris walked in. She quickly packed up, her hands trembling, and before anyone could ask what was wrong, high tailed it out of there.

"… She's not coming back, is she?" Barry asked. Enrico shook his head.

"Sure doesn't look like it…"

Chris watched her leave, puzzled. She looked… Hurt, and he had the strong urge to grab her and hold her again just before she left.

"Jill…"

It was only one o'clock.

* * *

At two o'clock the phone rang. Justin was staring at Gabriel in his cage, seeming to be having what looked more like a Mexican stand of with the damned creature. Let him out? Was she kidding? That thing _attacked him_. Besides, she wouldn't notice if he missed _one_ day of exercise.

The phone clicked over to the answering machine. Justin looked over to it, hearing the voice of a man that he may have heard only once or twice.

'Hey, Jill… You know who it is. Are you alright? You left work early. Call me back'.

Justin grinned. Maybe she was coming home early for a treat. He could be hopeful. But time passed, and Jill still wasn't there. Justin tapped his fingers on the couch arm, watching the clock. It was a bit passed three, now. The phone rung again. He ignored it once more. The answering machine turned on.

'Jill, it's Chris… Come on, where are you? You've got me worried.'

Justin gave a slight growl. He tried to remember what Jill had brought up about Chris, but his memory failed him. He remembered him and the other members of STARS dominating most of her conversations.

Four o'clock rolled around. Justin was getting impatient. The phone rung again. Justin looked at it, and let it ring out.

'… Please, Jill, aren't you home yet? You're not the type to ignore calls, even when you're pissed. Did I do something? I'll try your mobile…'

Persistent, wasn't he? Justin made a few mental notes – The man sounded like he was near pleading for an answer.

* * *

Jill sat down on the bench in the park near the station. She took a few deep breathes and looked at the area. What the hell was wrong with her? Why the hell was she acting like this? Why had it hurt her so much? If she could have, she would have just torn her heart out of her chest then and there and have been glad never to deal with it again.

Love? It can't have been. She had to tell herself that, over and over again. Maybe she was just jealous that now both Amy and Chris were able to see people, and she was still stuck at home waiting for Justin to get back from his so called 'business trips'.

She'd put her mobile on silent, and thankfully it wasn't one of those ones that didn't think that 'silent' just meant 'change my ring tone to a telephone instead of a melody.'

She sat there, looking at the sky, and just let her mind go to sleep. She could sit there, for hours on end, if she was not disturbed. The one thing going right that day, she was given permitted to do so.

Someone must have taken pity on her. The sky let her dream.

The calls and text messages on her phone went unnoticed.

* * *

It was late when she got home. She wasn't sleepy, or tired, just full of dread. She hoped she had been out long enough for Justin to have gone to bed. Despite what she had said, she was in no mood for what he had probably been looking forward to.

She walked into the apartment slowly, noticing the lights off. She flicked on her lounge room light, seeing Gabriel moving around restlessly in his cage. She had given Justin just two tasks, and he hadn't complied.

It broke her heart.

She walked over to the couch and sat down, opening Gabriel's cage. He basically shot out of it, so happy to be out of the small area.

Jill grabbed her phone, looking over it. Christ.

Eight missed calls, Seventeen text messages.

She opened the messages. Some were from Rebecca, and the rest of STARS, worried about her abrupt disappearance. Most of them were from Chris. That fact made her flinch. She slowly flicked through them.

They seemed to work from worried to pleading for her to tell him she was alright, since the times they had been sent. She felt so bad for it, the guilt nearly unbearable.

She checked the voice messaged left. Chris' tone… It was far worse than just the letters in the text messages.

'Jill, please… Call me when you get this, alright? I know I shouldn't but, I'm worried… Please let me know you're alright."

She tossed the phone down next to her and covered both of her eyes, trying to hide her tears. Why did he have to care…? No matter how many times she manage to convince herself it would pass, no matter how many times she told herself it was just lust, and told herself repeatedly that – he – didn't – love – her, the feeling still came back, and with every kind word he said she felt like she was going to break apart.

She rose from the couch, stuffing the phone back into her pocket, not bothering to reply. She hadn't gotten drunk for a good long while – Time to go visit a pub, after she got changed.

She grabbed the carrier cage she had brought for Gabriel earlier in the week and put him in it – she wasn't going to leave him on his own.


	11. Carry Me Home

A/N;

It's about time you made an appearance…

Beh, I want to have Kevin Ryman turn up a few more times… He's awesome XD I need to play Outbreak, still.

Resident Evil still only lives on my multiple consoles.

'Carry Me Home' lyrics belong to the awesome, The Living End.

* * *

**Carry me Home**

_**So one more round is all I need, Fill it up and let me be  
It's getting late I should've known, Won't somebody carry me home?**_

Jill slumped down at the bar, catching the attention of the barkeep as she placed Gabriel and his cage on the counter. It wasn't the strangest thing to ever be brought in, so he made no comment.

"What can I get you, love?" the Barkeep asked, hoping to be able to hear a reply over the cage beside them rattling. Jill looked past the barkeep, looking at a few of the bottles settled in the back. She picked one at random.

"Kahlúa, thanks." She answered after a moment of pondering. The barkeep wondered off, but sure enough, came back with a bottle of the requested drink and handed it to her, before heading off to serve another customer who had rolled up.

She screwed off the cap and took a quick drink of it. It was strong, and strangely sweet. Yet her taste buds enjoyed it, as well as her numbed mind. She sat on her own for a good ten minutes, listening to conversations in the background. Some about sports, women, work… Slurred words she couldn't make out.

"Fancy meeting you here…" A familiar voice said, snatching her from her thoughts. She quickly turned to the side, surprised by who she saw.

"Well if it isn't Billy Coen! I didn't imagine seeing you in a pub." She smirked. Billy laughed slightly at that.

"Are you kidding me? Half this town still won't make eye contact with me because they think I'm going to give them a black eye if they so much as acknowledge me." He said, taking a seat on the stool next to her. He quickly ordered a strong beer then got back to their conversation.

"I'd love to say that you never struck me as a girl who would come to a pub to drink alone, but…" Billy began, but Jill gave a wave of her hand.

"Don't worry about it, you'd be right. When I want to drink, I can _drink_. And I want to drink tonight." With that, she took another sip of her Kahlúa. "And trust me, I ain't going home tonight – Plan to spend the early hours of the morning passed out in the corner of the room. Now, what are you doing here, Coen?"

Billy shook his head, "Not one to beat around the bush, are you?" He asked, "I'm a man who likes Steak, Sex, and Beer. I'm only here for the latter."

"I'd certainly hope so." Jill said with a nod, taking another swig of the Kahlúa. She paused, and then smirked. "Lolicon."

"Shut up and drink."

She snickered, happy to find something to tease him with, though she moved on. "Must be hard going around like that. Your two clothing styles seem to either scream convict, or pimp." Jill commented.

Ironic that she should bring up that 'pimp' outfit, as it was just the one he was wearing. The blue suit, yellow undershirt, dark sunglasses… Yep, on him, he looked pretty gangster.

She was one to talk – It was surprising she hadn't been mistaken for waitress or something yet. She'd changed into just something simple. Black pants, black shoes, black belt and a white, long sleeved button up shirt. She wasn't aiming for any attention, so the plainness was helpful, though misleading in ways.

"Some people could argue drug dealer rather than pimp, you know." He reminded her, "But I've already been arrested three times, just for walking around with Rebecca."

"So, people don't mind that you look like some sort of underworld gangster, but as soon as you're with someone that looks like a child, they arrest you?" She asked.

"Nobody likes a pedophile except for other pedophiles, dear Jill. It's not my fault that my girlfriend happens to look like she's fifteen at the most."

"Well you probably deserve being arrested, _deflowering _her like that." Jill smirked, while Billy slumped on the bench slightly. "At least you were nice enough to let her be on top."

"… So, you were actually a bitch enough to watch that tape…" Billy said, drinking down a large amount of his beer, slamming the bottle down hard on the counter. Jill gave a nod.

"I said I wouldn't believe her until I saw it, I was just keeping my word, so don't take it out on me." She said, but her voice was chirpy as she finished off her drink. She raised her hand, ordering a second.

"… Can you ever get drunk off that stuff?" Billy asked, able to smell the sweet liquor from where he was.

"To hell if I know," Jill shrugged, "But I'm going to find out, and if I can't, I'll _make_ it work."

As soon as the next drink came, she basically finished it off within a twenty second time limit. Billy leaned away again as she raised her hand for yet another.

"… What kind of drunk are you?" He asked cautiously. She glanced at him for a moment.

"No clue, it's been way too long. I remember how everyone else is drunk, but not me." She explained. "I've only seen it once, and that was probably an accident on her part, but I know Rebecca's pretty much a giggling drunk. It's actually pretty funny and strangely cute at the same time. Barry I remember jumped through a window last time… First floor, thankfully. Chris is the extremely affectionate type. He would _not_ get off me last time we went to the pub."

"Wouldn't get off, hm?"

"Not like that, he just clung onto me for a few hours before he fell off his chair and couldn't get back up." She said, shaking her head.

"Pass your phone." He said out of the blue, but she did so, not even inquiring why. He quickly went through her contact list and wrote down a number on a napkin, just in case he was going to need it later when she inevitable passed out.

* * *

Chris was at is wits end. What the hell had he done? Was she alright? More worrying, why couldn't he shake the panicky feeling he had? This was Jill after all; it wasn't as if she were his wife or something…

He sat on the curb of the street outside his apartment building. He'd gone through five cigarettes, and was breathing his sixth one in heavily. He stubbed it out on the ground and fumbled to find another in the packet. It was hard – His hands were shaking, and he kept missing each individual one when he tried to grab it.

His mobile was still in his pocket, with him still waiting for it to ring. It was four in the morning. He had work that day. But he couldn't sleep. The last time he had felt like this was when he'd come back from one of the missions, having killed a man… It wasn't the same feeling, not exactly, but on that occasion, he had someone to make sure he was alright and recovered well. Jill. But even though it hadn't been long, even though it had only been a short time without her, he still felt somewhat lost.

His mobile rang, and his heart nearly stopped beating. He dropped the cigarette packet and quickly grabbed it from his pocket, answering it out of breath, "Hello?!"

"… This is Chris Redfield, right?" An unfamiliar voice asked.

Chris felt his heart sink. Definitely not Jill. "Yeah," He replied, his posture slumping, "Who the hell's this?"

"This is Billy, Billy Coen." Billy answered.

"Billy… You're Rebecca's boyfriend, right?" He asked, though there still lacked enthusiasm in his voice. "How did you get my number?"

"A little bird told me… More of a blue jay with that attitude." He answered simply, "You know the Starlight Pub? Down by---"

"Yeah I know it." Chris said, rubbing his eyes.

"Reckon you can come down here?" Billy asked.

"What's down there for me?" He sighed, not seeming impressed, "It's four in the morning."

"An incredibly drunk lady blue jay, who's very close to passing out." He said, before hanging up.

Chris looked puzzled at his mobile. Could he possibly mean…?

* * *

"Jill!" Chris called, walking through the pub doors and spotting Jill slumped over at the bar's bench. She had both of her arms on the table – She was resting her head on one, and holding a half bottle of Kahlúa in the other. Chris quickly moved past the other patrons of the pub, over to the stools.

Billy gave a slight wave, remembering Chris' face from a photo Rebecca had shown him. "Chris Redfield?" He asked.

Chris gave him a glance and nodded, before turning to Jill. He put one hand on her back, and heard her mumble angrily under her breath, though he was unable to make out any of the words.

"Come to pick up the Blue Jay, Mr. Bird Catcher?" Billy asked, seeming relieved. He'd found out the hard way what type of drunk Jill was – The violent type.

"I, I told you… I'mma fucking parrot. Polly wants a motha fuckin' cracker…" Jill growled, though her words were slurred worse than could actually be written. She tried to sit up, but slumped back down. "Dead parrot… Caww…"

"How much did she have to drink?" Chris asked, not taking his eyes off of her.

"A lot," Billy answered truthfully, "I don't know if she had any before I came in or not, so I can't guess very well."

"And you let her?!" Chris asked angrily, looking at Billy.

"Pfft. Shame you aren't drunk a well, according to Blue Jay there, you're friendlier when you are." Billy said, taking another sip of his beer. It would seem he could hold his liquor better than a lot of people. "I've got no right to tell her how much she's allowed to drink or not, and she came here with the aim to get drunk off her face."

Chris had previously ignored the loud screeching coming from beside him, but it finally reached his ears. He looked to the side, spotting an angry Gabriel in a carrier cage. "What's he doing here?" Chris asked.

"All I know is Jill said she wasn't planning on going home tonight… I'm guessing she didn't want to leave him on his own." Billy shrugged. "You'll be takin' two home, but the looks of it."

Chris sighed, looking at Jill once more. It was strange, whenever they went to the pubs, Jill was the one that stayed sober. It was rather depressing, seeing her like this.

"Come on Jill, time to go home." Chris said, moving his hand to her shoulder to help her up.

"The fuck out. Get there!" Jill barked, swatting Chris' hand away.

"Don't put up a fight, Jill, you're not staying here." Chris said, as Jill put in a lot of effort to sit up straight, having to use the bar to balance.

"Fuck off." She hissed.

Chris shook his head, "Can't do that." He moved his hand to her shoulder again. This alcohol was not doing good things – one could tell that as Jill took a swing at Chris, punching him in the chest. He had to take a step back, but quickly moved forward to catch as she fell off her seat. She struggled, not wanting the contact, and punched him in the jaw. It was going to hurt later, but for now he ignored it, putting both arms under Jill and picking her up, in a wedding style method.

She beat her fists hard against his chest, slurring curse words while trying to squirm out of his hold. In her state, she wasn't able to find a way, and reluctantly accepted her defeat. She looked up at Chris for a moment and sniffed.

"… You fucking stink." She commented, a glare in her eyes.

"You're drunk, Jill." He stated, shaking his head.

"She's right, though, you smell like you've gone through three packs of smokes." Billy said.

"I've only had six cigarettes, thank you." Chris pointed out, before looking at Gabriel's cage. It would take some thinking to carry them both back to his apartment.

* * *

One way or another, Chris managed to accomplish the feat, somehow. He had thrown Gabriel's cage on the couch, letting the animal out to explore the apartment – Not a smart thing to do, but Chris had a more important thing to attend to without hearing him rattling the cage in the background.

He walked into the bedroom and placed the heavily intoxicated Jill onto the bed. She once again struggled, but once Chris had gotten her under the covers, she seemed to settle down. He sighed and smiled, relieved. Partly because he had thought it would be much harder to do, and partly because the panicky, worried and fretting feeling had left him now that he knew she was safely nestled away in his apartment.

He turned to leave, but felt his arm catch onto something. Well, not quite. Jill had grabbed onto his arm while he was still in reach.

"Chris, be meh teddy, pleaasse~?" Jill asked, holding onto his arm tightly. She hugged it, causing Chris to jerk down a bit.

"You're drunk." He reminded her.

"Pleaassee~?" She asked again.

Chris shook his head, "Drunk, you are."

"Pleeeeeeease~?" She begged once more.

"No, Jill. I'm going to sleep on the couch." He stated. She gave him a low growl, digging her nails into his arm.

"I'll bite you." She threatened, "Hard, again and again." Chris tried to tug his arm back, but it seemed like Jill wasn't letting go any time soon. It also seemed she had been serious about her threat… As she quickly chopped down on Chris' hand.

"Fine." He sighed, using his free hand to try and pull the covers up. She stopped biting him as soon as he had agreed, though left her lips against his skin.

Chris managed to get in, even with Jill still clinging onto his arm. He couldn't put much distance between them, because just as he had gotten his arm free, Jill had wrapped her arms around him, definitely using him much like a teddy bear.

"Luffles you, Chrissers…" She said, snuggling up to him and resting her head on his chest.

"You're gonna have the worst hangover imaginable tomorrow…" Chris said, tugging the covers up and putting his arms around her. He stroked her hair as she closed her eyes, and without intention, gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

"… Luffles you too, Jill."


	12. Everything You Want

A/N;

All my current ideas I can only really use for chapter 13 D:

I wonder what that police woman's name is, anyway? She wasn't meant to be reoccurring like this D:

Ohs, FF people… Thank you for all of the reviews! I thought it would take me weeks on end to even get one! So you can imagine my shock xD When I start writing I keep writing, so hopefully people won't have to wait too long for updates… Over the past few days I've been updating 2 times a day. Though tomorrow I'm going shopping to finish my cosplay for Saturday (Rebecca x3 Scream irony! I need to buy some whipped cream), while Sunday my friends and I are raiding boarders as STARS O_o; I have no life over the holidays XD

Aqua Crescent – Thank you for all of the views, and nice ideas there too x3 We shall all see how it works out~. And glad to hear XD Smoking is bad, yesh'ums!

Tiger Snaps – Here you go x3 *Flaunts chapter update* 13 will be up tonight or tomorrow morning, too. *types away*

Guffen – Thank you, I shall be :3

Ditto9 – I'm glad your boyfriend's getting a kick out of it, too x3! More there shall be, and I'm glad you like the Twilight poke, too x3

Resident Evil thinks I'm too undeserving to own it, so Capcom does xD

'Everything you Want' lyrics belong to Vertical Horizon.

* * *

**Everything You Want**

_**I am everything inside of you that you wish you could be, I say all the right things  
At exactly the right time, But I mean nothing to you, and I don't know why.**_

Oh god, the fucking pain. The mother fucking pain – It felt like her skull had been shattered, and the sound next to her basically shook her whole body as a reaction. She wanted to cover her ears, but her hands refused to stop gripping the fabric they held onto. Her hands weren't paralyzed or anything, but something made her refuse to let go. Whatever the thing was, it made her refuse to move from where she was, too.

She was just able to feel past the pain. Just barely. She was warm, to her surprise. She couldn't really remember much… Talking to Billy in the pub was the latest memory she could recall. She should be out cold on a pub floor, but… She wasn't. Instead, she was warm, and could felt arms around her… And hear snoring.

"Chris… You idiot, why didn't you just leave me…?" She asked quietly. Even that hurt her head, but she didn't regret what she must have done. … They were still clothed, so, nothing suss would have happened. That in itself seemed like a blessing. She looked up at him, then back down. She didn't seem to notice the snoring stop.

She chose not to think about how fit he seemed as her hand flattened against his chest. She chose not to think about how she loved his hair messy or how much she enjoyed his embrace. She chose not to think about how thankful she was that he hadn't taken advantage of her state or how she didn't mind the cigarette smell that lingered on him. She chose not to thinking about the fact that she didn't mind his snoring, or his strong grip around her. As much as she chose not to, she still did. She tried not to think about why it was that she loved this man, but trying failed to succeed.

She curled up a bit more, bringing her knees up higher, and her arms closer to her chest. She pushed up as close as she could to Chris, forgetting the fact that the movement of his breathing hurt her head. She cuddled up to him and was unable to hold back the tears that soaked into the shirt he wore. She closed her eyes, but they still slipped through.

Even with the train-wreck like headache and her tired, tired eyes… She couldn't remember the last time she felt so happy and safe – Comforted. She didn't want to leave that spot, that place in his arms. She mentally slapped herself – How sappy she must have seen. But, this was what she needed, what she had been needing, for a _long_ time.

"Is your hangover that bad?"

Jill's body jolted, she quickly opened her eyes and grabbed onto his shirt as a reaction. It caused Chris himself to flinch.

"W… What…?" She asked. Her fingers loosened their grip, just by the smallest amount. She could feel the moisture from his shirt between her fingers. How much had she cry? … How embarrassing.

"You're crying." He said, moving and arm from around her to wipe away one of the tears that hadn't quite fallen from her cheek yet. "It's gotta hurt like all fuck for that."

She nodded slowly, "Yeah… Feels like someone hit me on the back of head with a crow bar a few times."

"Guess you're lucky you don't have amnesia yet." He said. Jill tried to hold back a laugh – Reminded of her conversation with Claire. Well, she would lie here, just a little longer… She was probably already late for work.

* * *

"Excuse me, Captain Wesker!" A voice from the door called. Wesker slammed his pencil down – The voice wasn't of STARS, and he was still getting irritated with people walking in and out of his office – STARS or not.

"Oh for the love of Christ, what is it?" Wesker asked. He quickly turned his head to the side, as he heard what resembled a squeal. Joseph had run over, and was hiding under his desk. Wesker groaned and looked to the door, instantly knowing what this was about.

Kevin Ryman stood at the door, but appeared to be having trouble accomplishing that, for he was not alone. Also gathered in the door way was an assortment of dogs, little ones, medium ones, big ones… Corgi, Husky, Leonberger, Pug, a whole bunch of mutts… And a Doberman over his shoulder.

"Captain Wesker… I have a bit of a problem…" Kevin gulped, not exactly sure how to go about this.

"I swear to god, if you're requesting me to neuter those…" Wesker growled, tempted to take off his sunglasses just to emphasis his glare, "Good things will not be going onto your next STARS application."

"What? Are you kidding me? I couldn't do that to Hugo!" Kevin stated, managing to quickly ease the Doberman off of his shoulder and hug it, "He'd never forgive me!"

Wesker shook his head, and kicked Joseph as a simple 'get the hell out from my desk' statement. "Kevin… You haven't _bonded_ with those mongrels, have you?"

"Not exactly sir." He answered, looking at the dogs behind him, "… I think they kind of think I'm their alpha now…"

"You used a leaf blower on them, didn't you?" Wesker sighed. Kevin simply nodded in answer. "Well, I'm not touching this one with a thirty metre pole, go talk to Irons."

"What?" Kevin asked, taken a back, "I… I can't talk to Irons about this! He **eats** dogs!"

"And kittens, cute rodents and young children that are foolish enough to wonder past his underground lair while his tentacles are awake." Wesker said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair, "And considering what your mental age strikes me as, you might be within the 'young child' category."

Before Kevin could protest, a collar found it's way around his neck, and a leash connected to that. "Come on Scooby, we'll find you some snacks as soon as this is over." The still unnamed policewoman stated, tugging on the leash and dragging Kevin out of the room, the dogs quickly following.

"I think Kevin just got knocked down to Omega…" Joseph said, crawling out from Wesker's desk.

"… Seems appropriate, it's a woman's world, after all." Wesker nodded. Once more a melody filled the room. This one, no doubt a ring tone, but… None of STARS could reckonize it. Exclusing Wesker, it would seem, who casually took his phone from his pocket. "Albert Wesker speaking, who's this? Oh, you, good day."

"Wesker actually knows people…? That's a really scary thought…" Joseph whispered to Brad quietly.

"Mhm… Alright. I don't know when we'll be back so… Tomorrow, perhaps? It seems like the only time that we can go through with this."

The others did their best to listen in. Who was he talking to? Family? Rare Friend? Workmate? … Nah, no way in hell Girlfriend.

"Alright. We're all set for tomorrow. Around, lunch? Fine. I'll see you tomorrow, Claire."

"**CLAIRE?!**"

Wesker raised an eyebrow, looking at his bewildered staff. "… What are you doing? Get to work." He instructed, just before Brad fainted. Wesker shook his head, "What's _wrong_ with you people?"

* * *

"Chris, _please_ may I get up now?" Jill groaned, standing at the bedroom door. Her head was still throbbing, and as much as she would have liked to have just slept for hours on end to get over it, she didn't want to do it in Chris' bed. Didn't exactly seem… Right. And neither did that wording, but that would be beyond the point.

"Now, get away from the door and go back to sleep." He said, trying to make sure he was just loud enough to be heard. He didn't want to hurt her head. He wasn't going to let her leave until she could at least see properly without her head aching.

"Come on Chris, I'm fine…" She said sternly, though with a hand still to the side of her head.

"You, sleep, now." He stated, getting up. He had been on the ground with his back against the door to make sure she couldn't sneak out. But his arse was getting numb.

"Fine, but I hope you're aware that I'll be pestering you in about ten more minutes!" She huffed, trudging back over to the bed, getting back under the covers.

Why else didn't she want to sleep there? Because… In honesty, she was afraid of getting used to it. The feel of the sheets, the comfiness of the pillows and mattress, the general mess in the room... And of course, Chris sleeping beside her. That's what she was afraid if. She knew she was digging herself in deep, and with each event that happened between them, she lost more faith in her ability to get herself out of it. She was no boyfriend stealer, she was no tramp… But anyone looking into her life would think it.

She ran her hand over the side of the bed Chris had slept, and tried to figure out what to think of herself now. Another shot of pain ran through her head, and she whimpered while gripping the sheets.

Chris slumped down onto the couch in his lounge room. He had Jill right in his bedroom, and couldn't figure out a way to get her to calm down. For the last few hours she had just been demanding and trying to get up, instead of resting like she needed. Why did she have to go do something so stupid yesterday? What the hell made her _want_ to do that? His mind couldn't put it together.

He looked at the TV – it was off… Nothing but soap operas would be on at the time, anyway. He wondered if his sister was sitting and watching them instead of studying. His mind was jumping between the women in his life. He wondered if Rebecca had done anything at work yet to get them to add to the Sex Jar fund.

There were still others, but… His mind went back to Amy. Gee, he hasn't even told here they'd be heading out for god knows how long in two days. With Jill… How was Amy meant to react to that? She seemed, strangely clingy. He felt like the lamb going to slaughter. Did he only take her because that was what he was given?

His stomach hurt. He felt the guilt that followed that question. He couldn't do any better. Even with the recognition he got from his job, to people like that his personality must have seemed… Lacking. He never thought of himself as the smartest tool in the shed, or the most handsome. He could be a jerk, never intended, but the way that he joked, it was sometimes misinterpreted. How long could he keep it up? How long until he made a mistake? Why did he feel nauseous? Around Amy, around most women other than STARS and his sister… He always felt that way, try as he did to hide it.

All he wanted to do was continue to be himself, the person Claire and Jill let him be, the guy they loved him for. He shook his head. Claire loved him as a brother. Jill, didn't. Even though he was the most comfortable around her, he wasn't worth it.

He fumbled around for the remote, tired of his thoughts. He flicked the TV on, keeping to low. Somehow, he didn't manage to hear the bedroom door open, or the water from the shower turn on. About half an hour passed, and Chris reluctantly settled into watching 'Nights of our Deaths', certainly not a copy of a soap opera being broad cast in Australia, never!

_Hiiiiiiiissssss_

Chris looked to the side of the couch. Sitting on the arm, on top of the jacket that had been thrown over it, staring at him menacingly, was none other than Gabriel.

"… _You._" Chris said with a glare. Gabriel hissed, as if repeating the word back.

"So… It's come to this… What you gonna do, little buddy?" Chris asked, shifting his body to face him, not breaking eye contact with the blasted ferret. Drama music played from the TV as two characters were in a heated argument. They held that position for a good ten minutes.

Rather suddenly, Gabriel dropped his eyes, looking at the jacket. Before Chris could question what the runt was doing, Gabriel had dipped his head and paws into a pocket… And darted off, Chris' wallet in his mouth.

"… What? H-Hey, You little bastard, get back here!" Chris shouted, quickly jumping off of the couch, tripping over the coffee table in front of him and darting after the ferret.

"… I don't think I want to know…" Jill mumbled from the bedroom, putting a pillow over her head.

* * *

"Captain Wesker, I don't like this!" Rebecca squeaked loudly.

"Oh hush now, keep moving." Wesker said, shaking his head and giving her back a shove. Now, anyone just tuning into this could… See where this could appear quite wrong. But it was innocent enough… Yeah, right. Poor Rebecca was being nudged down the hall of the police station, dragging her feet in an attempt to have a chance to turn around and run back to the office. She was not comfortable in the attire she had somehow been forced into wearing.

Was this what Wesker have meant by 'Mascot'? There really was no other explanation for it. Black and white, there was no mistaking that outfit. Much against her will, one way or another, Rebecca had gotten dressed in a maid's outfit. One should mention it was shorter, to boot. Joseph, Forest and Brad had come along, curious of how much money they'd actually be able to make from the RPD. However, that question was cut short quite early on.

"Ahem. I'm going to hope you men don't realise the fact that that's my girlfriend you happen to be parading around." A voice growled.

All men quickly spun around to look at whom had spoken, though deep down they all really knew. Wesker grabbed Rebecca's wrist, just as a precaution that she wouldn't hightail it out of there when she had the chance.

Looking very displeased, and looking like a brute, stood none other than Billy Coen, barely a metre away from them. "So, what are you doing with Princess, there?"

"How many times did I tell you not to call me that…?" Rebecca whined.

"You know, if we told you, there's no way we'd kinda make it out of this situation alive…" Brad said, scratching the back of his head and chuckling awkwardly. Billy took a step forward, which caused Brad to hide behind Wesker, while Joseph and Forest quickly stood off to the sides.

"Hm… We'll just have to pick this up another day." Wesker said, letting go of Rebecca's wrist. She didn't think twice and ran over to Billy, who, still not amused by the whole situations, scooped her up with both arms. Wat was with holding people wedding style these days?

Rebecca put her arms around Billy's neck and looked at the group, poking her tongue out at them. "Nya!"

"She's leaving early today." Billy stated simply, turning and walking out, still carrying Rebecca.

"… Hey, he didn't put any money in the jar." Joseph mentioned, looking at Wesker. Wesker raised his hand.

"Don't worry… We'll get him next time he sneaks back. By the looks of it, he's going to owe a lot of money come tomorrow."

* * *

"You didn't have to do this you know, Chris…" Jill mumbled loud enough for him to hear as the two sat on the couch, each with a bowl and a fork, watching the news.

"Your head still hurts, doesn't it?" Chris asked, looking at her from the corner of his eye. She nodded. "Then, yeah, I did. Cause you would have done the same. Besides, it's not like it's much… Just some macaroni and cheese. Sorry I didn't have anything bet---"

"You know I like Cheese and Mac, Chris." She cut in. She poked the pasta in her bowl, playing with it a bit. He was right, had the roles been reversed, she would have done the same. They were friends, after all. But from the looks of things, he'd already done so much for him.

Nothing dramatic seemed to be on the news, just little things of events and festivals going on at the time. Chris made a mental note of one that would be in a month.

"You're staying here again tonight." He stated.

"No, I'm not… I should be getting home to Justin." She said sadly, looking off to the side.

"Does your head still hurt?" Chris asked once again. She looked at him, and gave another nod. "Then you're staying with me tonight, Jill."

"Thanks, Chris. You're a good mate." Jill said, looking back down at her bowl and putting some of the food in her mouth. It was all she could do to avoid mentioning the damned 'love' word to him.

And off quietly next to the couch, Gabriel munched down on the cheese and mac that was on a plate for him. No doubt not good for a ferret, but you work with what you're given.


	13. Centerfold

A/N;

I know I forgot to mention a few chapters ago, but… Amy looked through Chris' phone at some point, that's how she got Claire's phone number ._.

Ugh, I had a little trouble wording a lot in this one… x_x; Would have been up sooner, but I had a little fun with Claire's part :)

Resident Evil refuses to let me own it. Smart thing XD;

'Centerfold' lyrics belong to Captain Jack.

* * *

**Centerfold**

_**Does she walk? Does she talk? Does she come complete?  
My only homeroom angel, Always pulled me from my seat.  
**_

She didn't know how it happened, and frankly she didn't care. One more night, she got to sleep with Chris holding her. She wouldn't question this, she wouldn't argue against it. Besides, if she had argued about the sleeping arrangement, Chris probably would have used the 'Does your head still hurt?' excuse. That man, he had his ways. Even if Gabriel _had_ latched onto Chris' ear until he was allowed to sleep between the two.

But everyone had to leave where they like being the most at some point, and that point was the morning. The two got up, and this time tried to think of Jill's excuse for not turning up in uniform. They'd come up with one on the spot, if anyone asked.

As they were walking out, Chris paused. Not hearing Chris's footsteps, Jill stopped and looked over at him. "… Is something wrong?" She asked.

"… You cut your hair." He commented.

"You only noticed this now?" She asked, cocking her head to the side as Gabriel ran over, climbing up her pants leg, shirt and to her shoulder. She looked away, "… Do you like it?"

/You look beautiful./ Chris thought, but bit his tongue. "It looks nice." He answered.

"Oh, good, I was worried it might have made me look like an idiot." She said, leaving swiftly out of the door, "C'mon, Redfield!"

* * *

The two walked into the office, unable to get there early like they wanted. They had both been absent yesterday, and they were turning up together. Needless to say, it was suss, even if nothing had happened between them.

As they walked in, everyone raised their eyes, but said nothing. Even though today was probably the day that they should have all been working their hardest, Alpha Team especially, everyone seemed to have worked themselves out. They were all taking what looked like a break. Richard had brought out whatever he had been knitting some time ago, which by now was looking like a quilt. Joseph was flipping through some cook books, highlighting certain paragraphs and writing down ingredients on a note pad next to him. Forest was messing with some bits of fabric, seeming to be sewing them together, while Brad, Edward and Kevin were putting together what looked like model air planes.

Jill and Chris slumped down in their respective seats, Gabriel jumping from Jill's shoulder and hunting around her desk for something worth stealing. Chris still hadn't found out where his wallet had been hidden. He did his best to grab out some documents from his work pile.

There was the sound of some papers shuffling, things being stapled… Knitted, sewed, glued… But somewhere in that, the sound of chair being pushed out could be heard. "Hey, Jill!" Forest called.

Jill looked over, a questioning look on her face. "Hm? What is it, Forest?" She asked.

"Do you think you could bring your ferret over here?" He asked. Puzzled, Jill picked Gabriel up as he munched on one of her pencils, and headed over to the requested desk, setting him down.

"What exactly are you… Doing?" Jill asked, as Forest grabbed something from his desk and Gabriel with his other hand. She could hear Gabriel squeal from the surprise, but in a few seconds, Forest handed him back.

"Oh… God, that's… Forest, when did you have the time to make that?" Jill asked. "When did you even get the idea to _do_ that?" Forest shrugged.

"About the time when he bit Chris." Forest grinned, seeming happy with his work. Gabriel didn't seem to mind now, either.

"That's… So adorable." Jill said quietly, poking Gabriel's chest. He was decked out in a little light purple vest with STARS and the saying on the back, over a little white shirt with the emblem on one arm. "All he needs is a mini walkie talkie!"

"I'll get to work on that!" Forest said, sitting back down and grabbing some cardboard.

"I'll hold you to it!" Jill laughed, before heading back over to her desk. Chris looked over his shoulder, spotting the new addition to STARS.

"Well would you look at that? That Kevin Ryman couldn't get into STARS after god knows how many applications, and all that little guy has to do is attack me and he's in!" Chris chuckled.

"I'll be sure to let Kevin know that attacking you gets bonus points." Jill nodded.

"Hey!"

* * *

Downstairs, the younger Redfield sibling walked into the waiting room of the station. She sat down on one of the comfy seats and pulled out a packet of M&Ms from her pocket. Not exactly her favourite, but a cute guy with red hair had given them to her when she had walked past him on the street. Don't take candy from strangers, she was always told as a child, but he was maybe two years younger than her, and he seemed so insistent. They hadn't been opened, so what was the harm?

She tore open the packet and poured a few out on her hand, popping them in her mouth. Mmm, the crunch ones… Now _those_ were good ones.

She looked to the side and saw two young children, a boy and a girl. They clearly weren't related, but the boy was teasing the young girl relentlessly, tugging her hair and calling her childish insults like the ones she had heard when she was a little kid. Booger brains, Cooties Spreader, Stupid Head.

Claire wanted to step in as the little girl ran off and started crying, standing in the corner Claire was sitting near. It had all been over a toy dinosaur. Ah, she knew that argument well. 'You're a girl, you're not allowed to like dinosaurs!'.

Her heart went out to the little girl. She wasn't either of the children's parents, but… Hell, justice had to be done.

"Psst…" Claire called quietly to the little girl. She looked over, sniffing and rubbing her eyes. Claire motioned for the girl to come over, offering an assuring warm smile. The girl hesitated for a moment, but Claire seemed like the mother duck type, which naturally made her trust her. She slowly walked over, trying not to bump into anything with her blurred vision.

"Hey sweety," She greeted the girl as she stood next to her. She kept her voice quiet and warm, so that only they could hear it, and that the girl knew she was on her side. "Was he being mean to you?"

She nodded, "He's my brother's friend, and my mummy's looking after him while we came here to get Daddy…" She said through sobs. An endearing 'aww' escaped Claire's mouth. She poured a few of the M&Ms out onto her hand and handed them to the girl. She took them, but knew of the same rule Claire had been told, so was thinking over actually eating them. Claire saw this and took one, putting it into her mouth to assure her they were alright. The girl followed her example, seeming to calm down with the kind gesture.

"Does he do that a lot to you?" Claire asked gently. The girl nodded.

"Yeah… But I don't know what to do… He's a boy, he's stronger than me…" She said quietly, putting another chocolate in her mouth and crunching on it miserably. Claire winked at her.

"Aw, so you think that I couldn't meet one of the boys here because I'm a girl? Angel, we're girls, we're smarter than boys. You want me to tell you how you can beat him?" She asked.

"Yes please!" The girl said, and Claire quickly gave her a 'shh' to be quiet. She nodded and closed her mouth, chewing quietly. She put a hand on the girl's shoulder and turned her to look at the boy, pointing with her other hand.

"You see that part of his pants, where the top of his legs are, in the middle?" She asked.

"Yeah…" the girl nodded quietly.

"Kick him hard, right there."

"But… What if he hits me back?" She asked, scared.

"Honey, trust me. He won't be able to stand up for awhile, and he'll never pick on you again." Claire assured her. "Go give it a try; I'll come help you if something happens, alright?"

The little girl gulped and nodded, gathering up all of her bravery and walking back over.

Claire watched from where she was, just able to hear 'what do you want, dog breath?'. The little girl stood her ground as the boy tried to intimidate her, and as soon as there was an opening, _KICK!_ The boy fell to the ground, crying, and just as Claire had said, unable to get up.

Claire couldn't wait to be able to teach her own little girls that trick in the future. She gave the little girl a thumbs up and looked away so that she oculd savour her victory.

Claire was treating the chocolates like popcorn and going through them quite quickly. She'd have to find out where to get these ones.

She looked to the TV as she could hear the little boy crying that he was sorry. The 'The Italic and the Gorgeous' was on, and she couldn't miss this episode. It was the one where they were going to find out if Jake was the one who was buried last episode, or if he had escaped, and it was someone else. And if it was someone else, who?!

* * *

Wesker was writing away as the clock ticked towards lunch. The others whom had been there yesterday watched the clock secretly, and looked over to Chris when they got the chance. There was no time for mucking around today now that the break was over – Tomorrow Alpha was heading out. That meant no video games, no dance offs, no nap times. But at least they had things to do, even if Brad _really_ wanted a dance off.

Wesker looked up for a moment towards the clock, sighed a simple 'hmph' and got back to his paper work. Jill and Chris were confused about why the rest of the team seemed to be acting so… Well, they couldn't think of a word for it.

Within about ten minutes of Wesker looking back to his work, the door opened. Everyone seemed to immediately look over, but the ones whom were there yesterday doing it far faster than Chris, Jill and Wesker.

"Well, yo there." Claire greeted, casually walking in.

"Claire?" Chris questioned with a smile, looking to the door quickly. She gave a wave and a smile back, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"That's what we wanna know…" Joseph said quietly, then coughed as soon as Chris looked at him, "Yeah! To what, uh, pleasure do we owe this surprise visit, Lil' Redfield?"

Claire quickly walked over to Chris desk and gave her big brother a hug, while Wesker waited impatiently at his desk.

"Oh, Chris, I should tell you… I'm going to change my mobile number." Claire said as she broke the hug, "I'll let you know the new number, alright?" Chris nodded, then paused.

"But, why are you changing it, exactly?" Chris asked curiously, tilting his head. She gave a shrug.

"Eh, I have a little _pest_ that won't stop calling me. Can't be bothered with police action, it doesn't really seem like a good idea." She explained, while Chris looked at her worriedly.

"Is there anything I can do about it?" He asked. She gave it a good deal of thought, then shook her head.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I can fix it myself." She turned to face Wesker's desk, "Now, I've got something I need to attend to." Before Chris could inquire what she was doing, she had wondered off from his desk, and over to Wesker. With a quick movement, she sat on the top of the desk, her back to Wesker, though her torso turned just enough to be able to look at him. "So, we're still on for it? You're not just gonna leave me hanging, are you?"

"Huh…?" Chris asked, looking puzzled at the two.

"Of course not. I'm not so much of a tease. Shall we hurry with this? I don't know if we can finish up before the end of lunch." Wesker replied, rising from his desk.

"Wait…" Chris began, slowly standing up. Claire hopped off Wesker's desk, walking back over to the door. She put on hand on the door frame, leaning out a bit.

"C'mon! I don't have all day!" She said, before leaving, Wesker casually following her out.

"W… Wait… Wesker, **you bastard!!**" Chris yelled, Richard just managing to grab his arm as he ran for the door, making the man come to a rough halt, "**What are you doing with my sister?!**"

Wesker took a step back into the room for a moment. He glanced at Chris, and then went on to ignore him. "Rebecca, do you think you could come along? I have a feeling that you might be, _handy_ for this." A shiver ran down Rebecca's spine, but she got up, and slowly trudged out of the room, tossing the others a 'pray for me' glance.

"Well, there's Rebecca's Ménage à trios for ya…" Brad said, quickly slinking back in his chair.

"Claire, Damn it! **You can do better than that!**" Chris called, reaching for the door before collapsing onto his knees, "**BETTER THAN THAAAAAT!**"

Jill stood beside Chris and gave him a pat on the shoulder, "There there... I'm sure it's not what it seems."

* * *

"Oh Wesker, you're the greatest!" Claire squealed.

"Oh really now?" Wesker scoffed, "Just because of this? My dear, you haven't seen me at my best!"

"What? Aren't I worth it?! Y, You bastard!" Claire cried.

"C… Can you two please stop? Anyone listening in would think that you're in the middle of sex or something!"

"Ooo~!"

"Dammit Claire, I mean it!" Rebecca huffed, "Do you know how hard it is to sort through cats listening to your two like that?"

The two turned, still holding a cat in each hand. It would be best for one to analyze the situation, now that the chance has been given. The three stood on a footpath next to the station. It was in a good location, as it could get a good view of the windows. A certain window, high up, was open, which was exactly what they were aiming for. The window lead to Iron's office, and to their delight, it had been left open to let the breeze in.

Now, instead of fresh air, _cats_ were being let in through the window… With a bit of force. They had been planning this for a long time…

"God, so good!" Claire continued, just before throwing a Siamese cat through the window. It was a lucky thing that both she and Wesker had very good aim, or this could be proven as animal cruelty… But Claire loved animals, at least that was what she said.

"Aren't _you_ a little hell raiser lately?" Wesker asked, before snatching a Russian Blue from Rebecca. He looked at it for a moment, giving it a name in his head before hauling it up into the room that was full of a good two dozen cats by now.

"Well it's not my fault! I'm like a loose cannon since my older brother's been bewitched away!" Claire stated dramatically in her defense, putting her back of her free hand to her forehead, "Oh, when will my wayward ways stop?!"

"I do believe you should cut back on the soap operas." Wesker said, taking a side step away from her.

"I can't… I need to know if Richy or Mike is the father of Megan, and if Theo _really_ died in that shark accident!" She replied.

"… I want nothing to do with this." Wesker said, shaking his head and hauling another cat through the window.

"… Say, when do you think he's actually going to go into the office?" Rebecca asked, looking though all of the cats in the box.

"Hm, give or take, ten minutes or so. We have a lot of cats to throw in a short amount of time." Wesker explained.

"Uhm… Wesker…"

"What is it, Rebecca?" He turned to the side, seeing Rebecca holding up a certain cat.

"I… Think there might be something wrong with this one… Just a little bit, you know…" She said, holding it up to him. It was tubby, tabby cat, large with messy fur. No doubt it would have been nice to have as a house hold pet at one stage.

"What exactly is wrong with it?" Wesker inquired as Claire snapped out of her drama and looked over.

"Gee, I don't know Wesker… Maybe it's got something to do with the fact that it's got tentacles coming out of it's mouth?" Claire asked, "That's… Incredibly creepy."

"Nonsense!" Wesker said, grabbing the cat from Rebecca as it gave a gargled sound, "There's nothing wrong with him, he's just a little... Different, is all, and for this task different is good! And his name shall be Charlie, now, away you go Charlie, make Wesker proud!" And with that, he launched the cat up through the window as well.

"You know, I'd love to blame a power plant for that one but… What power plant?" Claire asked, watching the cat fly. She half expected bat wings to spurt out of it's back.


	14. Songbird

A/N;

Rawr. Can't think of many notes… I have some chunks of chapters 15 and 16 done, so when my big events roll around I'll hopefully still be able to keep up my updates. Kind of Ironic, but chapter 17's nearly done… XD

Ohs. *shruggers*, I didn't see much reason on going too far into Jill and Amy's past. When I finish this series I might write it up more detail just to clear it all up properly xD;

Ditto9 – Maybe we should make Charlie the fanfic's mascot XD? Jill and Chris may as well be living in Egypt :c *Brick'd for horrible, horrible pun*

Tiger Snaps – Here you go XD!

Hannah554 – This has really only been up for a day, so you've gotten in pretty early XD

Oh, you might like this x3

striped-tie (dot) deviantart (dot) com/art/STARS-Gabriel-XD-119517332

Resident Evil isn't mine. What? I couldn't think of a snappy one today!

'Songbird' belong to Bernard Fanning.

* * *

**Songbird**

_**If you'd let somebody love you just enough  
You'd have everything you need to break free from all your pain**_

A slight melody played as Jill walked out of work. She reluctantly pulled her mobile from her pocket, flipping it open. A message from Amy, great. Well, what did she expect? They were… Friends, supposedly.

'Hey, come dwn 2 the pub with me & the rest of the grls. U're off work now, rite?'

Well, at least her spelling was picking up.

'I'll be down there in 10.' She texted back miserably.

* * *

Five, really, she made it down there in, even though she dragged her feet, and had Gabriel shifting his position constantly on her shoulders. She walked thought the pub door, gave no glances, no greetings. She looked up, spotted the group, and trudged over. There was no reason to spare any words as she sat down.

The group had quickly stopped their conversation as Jill took a seat, obviously not expected her early.

"Wow, I didn't expect to see you early!" Joanne gasped, the rest of the group nodding. Wow, real original reaction.

"Yeah… It was a faster trip than I expected." She shrugged, "Hope you don't mind. I can walk out and come back in later if you want."

"Would you mind?" Miki asked, before receiving a hit upside the head from Nicola.

"Nah hun! Stay!" Nicola chirped. Jill seemed to settle down in her seat, leaning back. Gabriel quickly moved onto just one of her shoulders to make sure he refrained from getting squished.

"Is… Is that a rat?" Miki asked, scooting as far back as she could in her seat.

"… He's a ferret." Jill answered plain. "He came in with me to work today, I didn't have any time to take him home before coming." Gabriel looked at them for a moment, before making a 'donk' sort of sound.

"… Eew." Amy said, while Jill just rolled her eyes. "Right, we were talking about Chris, right?" the rest of the girls, excluding Jill, nodded.

/… Fuck. Was I dragged here just to hear her brag?/ Jill thought bitterly.

"He's _sooooo_ great, but some things just like, completely urks me about him. Ya know?" Amy asked. The girls nodded. Jill put an elbow on the table and leaned forward.

"No, I don't know. Please elaborate." She stated, catching Amy off guard. /Please, tell me what are your standards? Maybe I can pair you up with a more fitting **tree**./

"Uhm… Well…" Amy began, scratching the back of her neck, taken aback by Jill's reaction. "Ya know.. .He just, speaks so vulgar, and when he's joking around… It's all… Ugh, it just, really pisses me off!"

Jill found herself ticked off, and raised to her feet. "Excuse me a moment," She said, placing Gabriel on the table. "Look after my ferret." And with that, she swiftly left, heading out the back door which lead to an alley.

Gabriel stared at the girls for a moment, and they stared back. He hissed. They screamed.

Out behind the Alley, Jill was tempted to punch a wall – She was so angry, frustrated, but she was smarter than to do that. She spotted a dumpster, and quickly moved over to it. There were appliances thrown into it…

She grabbed a toaster from the pile, and threw it at the ground. It broke off into a lot of pieces, as if it was waiting to be put together at the manufacturing building. She breathed heavily, angrily, before calming down, and heading back inside. She sat back down, and went on to try and listen some more.

"And… Ugh, it's like, he doesn't take priorities." Amy huffed. Jill clenched her fist, "And he doesn't even look after himself, c'mon! He rarely shaves or, anything! He _need_s to clean himself up, it's disgusting!"

"Excuse me again, I forgot something." Jill said, heading outside again.

**SMASH** went a microwave before Jill came back and sat down.

"Well I guess I can't bitch about _everything_, I mean, the sex is damn well good~" Amy purred.

"A minute." Jill said though clenched teeth, quickly running out. About five more appliances met their demise with loud smashes and crashes, followed by a loud, drawn out and yell. A lot of people looked towards the door, before getting back to their drinking as Jill walked back in, seeming fine with a smile on her face.

Throughout the rest of the conversation, Jill continued to get up, leave, find something in the dumpster, and proceed to destroy something from it before venturing back inside. Eventually, as one more remark was made, Jill stormed out once more but stopped when she reached the dumpster. There was nothing worth smashing in it, but she still had so much anger built up. The music in the pub had been turned up so loud she couldn't even hear her thoughts about trying to figure out what to do. Extremely frustrated, Jill grabbed her gun from the holster she had pt on while at work and uploaded a full clip into the poor dumpster, before walking back inside, seeming far more relieved. No-one had heard the gun firing because of the music.

But as the subject finally, finally moved on, Jill thought of a question worth asking.

"Hey, Amy… Do you remember how we actually became friends?" Jill asked out of the blue. Amy gave her a strange look. It wasn't exactly the most desired question to be answered, and in all honesty…

"Nope." She said, looking back to Marie. Jill quietly moaned. Maybe that was why she was treated like this – Her deed wasn't remembered. She couldn't really blame them – It had only been something small, and looking back, they had no doubt taken her into the group purely for protection purposes.

It was probably around, three or four years ago. A simple intimidating man giving Amy and Joanne a lot of hassle, close to turning violent. A simple step in by a girl they had seen on campus once or twice, whom that had taken no previous acknowledge of.

'What makes you think you've got the right to intimidate people like that? You're nothing more than a thug, get out of here.'

'And what are you gonna do about it, missy?'

'Shooting you seems like a good option. I can claim self defense.'

A twirl of a new gun, brought to congratulate herself on getting her gun license not too long ago. And he hightailed it out of there as she shot at his foot, a simple but effective warning shot. Even back then, she wouldn't put up with it. The two girl's first encounter with the girl known as Jill Valentine.

Such a simple thing, Jill didn't blame them for forgetting it. Things were far more important these days, though sometimes she found herself wishing she hadn't got involved.

Jill stuffed her hand into her pocket and pulled out her mobile, hiding it under the table. She found Claire's number, and sent off a quick text as the other girls continued to chatter about idle things that, although important to them, made Jill want to rip her ear drums out. The text message simply read:

'FUCKING. SAVE ME. EARS, BLEEDING. PUB, YOU HERE, NOW.'

She quickly switched her phone to silent, looking up. They hadn't noticed her lapse of attention. Soon the phone vibrated, and she quickly opened it.

'… Caps abuse? Are you yelling? I'll be there in five.'

Jill thanked her lucky stars. She new she must have been dragging Claire away from her studies… She'd make it up to her later for this. But for now, she definitely needed to get away before she went deaf.

Gabriel ran back up Jill's arm to her shoulder, hissing once more from his perch. He didn't like these girls, no sir. His 'mummy' seemed to always have bad vibes whenever she was around them. He didn't know why they upset her, or how, but he didn't like it.

"Jill… Can you put that thing outside or something? It's feral!" Miki squeaked, moving back once more in his seat.

/He's more tame than you mongrels… Oh! Who said that?!/ Jill thought, a soft smirk on her face, but it quickly turned to a grimace. "Ugh… Possum…" She muttered under her breath. Gabriel quickly stood up on Jill's shoulder, ready for the sentence.

"Did you say something?" Joanne asked. Jill shook her head.

"No, nothing…" She sighed, looking to the door. Where was Cl… Ah, what good timing that girl had. Jill quickly stood up as Claire wondered through the door, seeming to have grown accustom to these sorts of places. "Oh, I'm sorry, I need to leave for a few minutes, is that alright?"

"Not really…" Amy began, but Jill had already darted away, Gabriel just managing to hang onto the fabric once again. The girls went back to their conversation, the topic now turning to Jill. They didn't see her grab Claire's hand and drag her off to a table.

Jill found a free table, slumping down in a vacant chair next to it. She still seemed extremely agitated.

"Are you alright?" Claire asked as she took the opposite seat, "You look… Pretty pissed."

"I'm fine." Jill assured her, "I've just been trouble-shooting."

"Trouble-shooting… Isn't that STARS code for 'shooting the fuck out of a dumpster'?" Claire asked. Jill simply nodded in reply.

"I never thought I'd have to follow Barry's example of that." She sighed. "I feel so... Arg! I'm just being used and no doubt being bitten when I'm not looking by the Oh-so-popular sorority angels."

"Jill, have… You been watching the soap operas too?" Claire asked, leaning forward a bit. It was almost like their roles had been reversed.

Jill grunted, slamming her fists down on the table, "Watching them? I'm damn well living one…" She mumbled.

"… Please tell me you don't secretly have a child hidden away somewhere?" Claire asked. Jill shook her head.

"God no. I think I'd remember if I had a child." Jill stated.

"I dunno, Amnesiaaaaaa." Claire pointed out. Jill chuckled and shook her head.

"No, I'm sure I don't have a child, there's no reason to worry. This soap opera hasn't brought in the 'You're my mum!' plot line yet." Jill assured her. Claire sighed in relief, then seemed to jolt. "Is something wrong?"

"Not really, I don't think… I just, kinda know one of those guys over there. _Kinda_ being used very, very loosely." Claire explained, gesturing to the bar counter. Jill looked over her shoulder to get a look.

"Do you need me to pretend to be your girlfriend again?" Jill asked, studying the people over there. It would have helped if Claire had been far more specific… There were a lot of guys waiting to get drinks. Claire shook her head.

"Nah, I think I'll keep being straight today, thanks though." Claire said, "I only met him on the street, once, so I'm sure he probably won't bother me now."

"What exactly did he do to grab your attention in the first place?" Jill asked curiously.

"When I was heading to the station earlier today, he grabbed my arm and gave me a packet of M&Ms." She said.

"So he was trying to court you?" Jill joked.

"They were the crunchy ones." She shrugged.

"I think that might have been a marriage proposal then." Jill said nudging her arm. "Be careful, people usually defend those crunchy ones with their lives, to give them to you, my lord!"

"Cut that out." Claire laughed. "We've got other things to discuss, eh?" Jill leaned back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling. She just watched one of the fans spin slowly, not even being very efficient. Her mind only drew blanks.

"… So, are you going to the mission as well?" Claire asked, trying to think of a subject. Jill nodded.

"Yeah, it's all of Alpha Team. You know what the funny thing is? Neither Justin or Amy seem to know about it." Jill laughed. Claire tilted her head to the side.

"How do you know Amy doesn't know?" She asked curiously.

"Well I haven't told her, I doubt you've told her, and I don't remember Chris calling her the two nights I slept over." She explained. Claire put her elbow on the table and leaned forward, a smirk on her face.

"Oh, did you now?" She asked, her smile much like that of a sly cat. Jill quickly slunk back in her chair.

"Don't try to make something of it, missy." She said, crossing her arms in an attempt to be more intimidating on the subject. "Nothing happened."

"Oh, and why not?!" Claire asked, standing up. A few people looked their way. "Just once, sleep with him just once!"

"Soap operas, Claire!" Jill reminded her, taken aback. "… Though, this doesn't really seem to fit with it… For god's sakes Claire, both Chris and I are taken! I can't go doing that! I, couldn't if I wanted to!"

Claire sat back down in her chair, concentrating on Jill's expression, and how she had worded her statement. "But you _do_, don't you? You love him, don't you?"

Jill looked away, "Please… Claire, don't do this to me…" Claire nodded and looked at her apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Jill." Claire apologized, honestly. Jill sighed, pushing some hair from her eyes. Claire shook her head. "Hey… I'll keep you up to date on everything, alright? You know I'm here to talk if you need to. You look like you're stressing out a lot, and I can understand why… Frankly, it doesn't seem very fair exactly what's going on. But, I know you enough to know you can play the cards you've been handed. Just hang in there, alright?" Jill gave a nod, refusing to sigh again. It just seemed obnoxious. She looked up slightly, her eyes gazing next to Claire.

"Hey, Claire. You've got company." She commented. Claire jolted – Just as Jill had said that, someone placed their hand on her shoulder. She quickly spun her head to look next to her. By the look on Claire's face she felt it was safe to assume that it was the guy that had given her the M&Ms. At least he seemed… Confident? That was a good trait… Dressed in cargo pants, a yellow shirt and blue jacket of sorts, it was hard to tell whether he blended in or stood out. His shade of red hair wasn't one that you saw everyday, though.

"Well hey there again beautiful~," Was the first commented made. Jill quickly turned away, mentally leaving the two... Her mind needed to be in other places. Gabriel had jumped off her shoulder – sitting on the table now, eying the new comer suspiciously. He wasn't bothering Jill, though… But he'd stay on guard, just in case.

Claire clicked her fingers, snapping Jill once again from her thoughts. Claire's expression seemed… Mixed, in a way. "So, did you find out where he got those M&Ms?" Jill smirked.

"Uh… He said he'd text me the address…" She said meekly, putting a hand over her face. "So… He's got my number."

"Oh, don't look so 'meh', Claire. All Princes start as Frogs and all Gentlemen as Dogs. He didn't seem that bad. A little cocky, maybe." Jill assured her, giving her a pat on the shoulder. "And if anything strange goes on, Chris'll sort things out, like usual."

"You mean in the 'Step aside as I shamelessly step in and defend your hounor' way?" Claire asked.

"That needs to be called the Chris Redfield syndrome." Jill laughed. She looked up at the clock adjacent to the bar and bit her bottom lip, feeling the habit set in once more. "… Well, Gabriel and I had better be off. Sadly, I have a home to get back to."

"… Why don't you just stay at Chris' again?" Claire quizzed as Jill stood up, grabbing Gabriel from the table.

"Because my head doesn't hurt anymore. I'll see you around, Claire." Jill said, then paused. She looked at Gabriel sadly. "Claire, can I ask a favour?"

"Sure, what is it?" Claire asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"… Can you look after Gabriel? I can't take him with me, and I don't trust leaving him at home." She explained. Claire gave a nod, and put her hands out.

"Sure, just pass him over."

Jill looked at Gabriel sternly, "Now Gabriel, be good for Aunty Claire." She stated. He gave her the pleading 'But I don't want to, mummy' look. It was… Strange from a ferret, but he seemed to behave as she gave him to Claire. "He can eat cat or ferret food, but he nibbles on a lot of other things, too. If you can't find him, just squeak a squeaky toy and he'll come back."

Claire nodded. "I got it, leave it to me." She said with a smile.

"Thanks, Claire, I really owe you."

* * *

Jill sat on the couch in the apartment. Her little set up had been dismantled – It would be cold if she slept there that night. She needed a good sleep, she'd have to sleep in the bed. She got up, able to heard Justin in the shower, and headed to the bedroom. She got changed, and snuggled down into bed, nearly falling out from being so close to the edge.

"Oh, you're home?" Justin asked as he finally walked in. Jill put a pillow over her head, not wanting to look at him. She just wanted sleep. "So…"

"No." She said simply. "I'm tired, Justin. I have a mission tomorrow, I need my sleep."

"… Not even a quickie? It'll help you get to sleep faster." He tried to coax her.

"No." She repeated once again, not budging.

"It's been months…" He said, honestly trying now.

"No." She said firmly once again.

"Aren't you just a little bit…" He began.

"Yes, extremely, _but_ I have my priorities. For god's sakes, I'll only be gone for two days. Just wait until then." She stated.

He muttered to himself, getting into the bed. He attempted to put an arm around her, but she hit his hands, giving a slight 'for the love of Christ, leave me alone' growl. He muttered angrily once more, turning his back to her.

"You're lucky I love you." He mumbled. She shifted awkwardly hearing it, but did not pick up what he said next, as it was obviously meant just for him, "Sometimes I wonder why I do…"

* * *

Back in Claire's Dorm, however…

"Damn it Gabriel, come back here with my bra you little pervert!"


	15. Zephyrus

A/N;

Bah, this one gave me some troubles :c I wrote the end of the chapter first, tried to figure out how I could get it like that… Thought that reason was too angsty, that reason was too cliché, that reason was too lame, or simply wondering 'Why and how did they get a spider monkey in the first place?'

So I ended up re-writing it. Made me feel much better, too XD I don't feel as much of as a bitch as originally for it x3

Reviews are yays~ Thanks everyone.

Aqua Crescent – Don't worry, I'm a Claire/Steve gal myself XD It's just a misinterpreted a course of actions by Chris and the others xD I remember seeing the same thing about dogs… Maybe Kevin did, too. If I were to ever have children, I think I'd follow Claire's lead in life lessons, too x3

Gaylien-sparkles – Bah, dang XD! Time lines are always the things that elude me D: … And Spelling. *shamelessly blames keyboard* I don't think any other fic has as weirded-out of a writer to throw cats around x3

AtaEnt – I'm glad you enjoy it :3! I shall do my best ;D

Ditto9 – Indeed he does, he seems to have decent taste for a ferret XD But if she did, she might get arrested, and it would be embarrassing to be arrested y Kevin or something XD

Hannah554 – We'll make some voodoo dolls of them ;3

Stardust4 – Thank you :D This what I aim for (A majority of the time) x3!

Kira131 – Glad to hear :D I think them being so perverted probably has more to of with my friend's influence and half of the gags I throw in X3 But you gotta admit, Wesker would make a great Voyeur XD

Resident Eeeeeeevil. No, not mine, not even after Cosplaying Joseph today xD!

'Zephyrus' lyrics belong to Bloc Party.

Oh, a side note.. I have a little one-shot being written to make up for what's going on in chapter 16 DX

* * *

**Zephyrus**

_**Baby, I'm ashamed of the things I put you through, Baby, I'm ashamed of the man I was for you  
And all you said in your quietest voice was "I needed you as much as they do**_"

The next morning came quickly. Jill had woken up extra early, and fled the apartment before she could be interrogated about what was going on. Perhaps she should have explained it all… Perhaps she had gone by better judgement on this one… Whatever it may have been, she made it to the station with half an hour to spare, before Alpha headed out in the oh-so-wonderful helicopter.

* * *

"Gaaah, are you kidding me?!" Chris whined, throwing his cards on the table, "How the hell do you keep winning, Joseph?!"

They were up in the helicopter, high above the world without a care in the world – And, much to their dismay, without anything much to do. Chris and Joseph had been reduced to playing Poker, while Brad flew the helicopter and the others sat, either boredly or listening to Forest and Chris' conversation.

Joseph just snickered, grabbing the cards and shuffling them again. Jill shook her head, leaning forward from her seat to give Chris a pat on the shoulder, before leaning further to answer in his ear.

"Maybe it's got something to do with the fact that when it comes to card games, you're a dumbarse?" Jill asked, before sitting back properly.

Chris pouted, "What makes you think that?"

"Probably the fact that he's still winning while using monopoly pieces and Uno cards during a game of Poker."

Chris slumped on the ground, lying on his back, refusing to pick up the cards again. "Can we just play something else?" He sulked. Jill shook her head, muttering something about Chris acting like a 'child'.

"What the hell else is there to play in a helicopter ride?" Joseph asked, shoving his uno and poker cards back into a separate packets – It was very clear that Chris wouldn't be partaking in any of the further games.

"This is why we should be funded to buy portable consoles." Barry said with a nod, leaning back against the wall of the helicopter.

"And this is why I hate you all." Wesker muttered quietly to himself under his breath.

"Well… We need something else to play… Can anyone think of anything?" Barry asked, trying to think of something to occupy their time.

"What about 'It's my turn to drive the helicopter?'" Jill quizzed.

"If we do that we'll be playing 'who do we eat first on a deserted island'." Joseph stated. The others nodded, agreeing.

"Well, we don't know if that's true since you've never let me fly."

"That's how we know!"

"Tsst… You should all be more open minded." Jill huffed.

"… What about, I-Spy?" Chris asked.

"No." Jill said sternly.

"Oh, come on… I come up with something and you turn me down!" Chris said, crossing his arms while still on the ground. Jill growled lowly, looking over at her gun.

"Have you ever been in a four hour long car trip through a big city that mainly sells baby things, as well as having such horrible traffic **and basically stopping outside of every store waiting for the lights to change WHILE---**"

"Jill, stop, you're getting worked up!" Barry stated, just cutting off her tangent. Jill groaned, grabbing her gun. Everyone quickly shifted away, staring at the possible source of death.

"Oh calm down, it's not like other than the I-spy thing I have any reason to shoot you… If you were my mother, however…" Jill said, simply checking over her gun.

"Is it really that bad?" Chris asked.

"Every time I hear the word 'crib' I punch a wall until my knuckles bleed." She growled in answer.

"… Ouch."

The helicopter once again fell silent, excluding the sound of the clicks and snap shuts of the gun. It remained this way for about five minutes, before Chris sat up, something finally coming to mind. With a glare in his eye, he turned to look at Wesker sitting casually on one of the seats… Those ones you have in helicopters, at least.

"Now that everything's quiet… I have one hell of a bone to pick with you!" Chris growled, standing up as he began to talk.

"Oh boy, here we go..." Jill said, shaking her head.

"What the hell do you think you're doing **sleeping with me sister?!**" Chris yelled. The helicopter jerked – Brad had been caught off guard and letting go of the controls for a moment – For a moment the helicopter began to head down, but was quickly set back on course – Hense the jerking motion.

Wesker pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. "Chris, this is one of those points in time where you are quiet before you embarrassed yourself."

"I'm not backing out of this, you bastard!" Chris snapped, "Stay the **fuck away from my sister!**"

"Chris, I can assure you, I'm _not_ sleeping with your younger sister." Wesker stated, getting annoyed with this conversation. Though, deep down, he was enjoying making fun of Chris like this.

"Then what the hell did you two do after leaving the office?!" Chris snapped once again.

"And you dragged poor Rebecca into it, too." Jill reminded them.

"Chris. We were _not_ doing what you clearly think we were doing. We were throwing cats through Irons' window." Wesker tried to answer calmly. Chris paused, studying Wesker's expression for a few moments.

"… You expect me to **believe that?!**" Chris demanded, just seeming to get even more… Protective. Before Wesker had any chance to state anything else in his defense, Chris had stormed over… And the two ended up near the side door of the helicopter. It was very easy to see where this was leading.

"Stop it! Don't open that door!" Brad called, trying to manage flying the helicopter and looking at the group at the same time. Not an easy feat.

"Hmm… I should use that somewhere." Wesker said as Joseph and Barry managed to pull Chris back to a seat. Wesker dusted himself off, fixing his vest and sitting back down. "Redfield, if you don't believe me, then when we arrive back at the station, check Irons' office. There should be clawed furniture, and if Charlie lived to my expectation, there should also be miscellaneous ooze over certain objects."

Even with that said, Chris was still shooting the man death glares.

"We'll be there soon… Just, try not to kill each other, please!" Brad pleaded, as everyone managed to settle down, just a bit. At least there were no casualties so far.

* * *

The town was a quiet, friendly looking place. It hadn't changed much since they had been there a few months earlier. Originally, they had come to help locate a few missing people. It had been a long and grueling search, but the people were found.

They were back here now just to do a few check ups, and look over some of the places they may have missed. There was a woodland area located outside of the town, and a few hidden hideouts and tunnels located out there – That had been where the people were found, and it was now just a matter of checking to make sure there had been no places they had missed sealing.

That, and visit the pub, and probably get drunk. The booze there were damn well good. It was a simple place – With very few cars, and really only two roads. The place seemed to be stripped right down to essentials, and was… Quaint.

"So, how about a gander around?" Jill quizzed the others as they got out of the Helicopter. "I want to check out the area first, and then relax later."

Chris gave a nod, as the others walked past. They had other things they wished to attend to… They would put in their work the next day. Of course, there was always the chance that they were just going to live it to the two, who would have no doubt had it covered to begin with. The two walked off, down the single past as it twirled off in different directions, heading for the forest on the other side of the town.

* * *

"Chris, stop tormenting the woodland critters!" Jill demanded loudly, kicking Chris' shins softly as a chipmunk darted away from the pair. "Come on, we're meant to be working!"

"Sorry, but… It just looked like it was going to steal my gun." He stated. Jill scoffed, shining her flashlight in his eyes. He flinched, quickly looking away. The flashlight was only needed to look into tree hollows and down holes, not for making him blind!

"And why's that, you big lug?" She asked, resting the flashlight on her shoulder while he recovered.

"Because I've discovered that after that damn ferret of yours stole my wallet, other animals seem to be eyeing me things." He stated. Jill shook her head.

"You drama queen… I'll help you find your wallet when we get back, alright?" She sighed.

"What if I tried to catch you one of the love birds around here?" He quizzed, the seriousness of the question going unnoticed.

"Don't be stupid, haven't you ever watched the movie Birds?" She laughed. Chris was partly glad she had figured it as a joke – not only was it a stupid thing to say, it was something he shouldn't have said seriously, not in his position.

They continued to search through the woods for around another half hour, before seeming to tire, and running out of places to search. The leaves under their feet crunched with each step, the amount making it seem like the place was flooded with fallen foliage. They ended up coming to rest on the roots of a large tree, taking a breather. The place seemed larger than they had remembered, but certainly more calm, and they were less stressed under the situations this time. Jill closed her eyes, leaning back on the tree.

Chris silently looked over at her. She'd taken her hat off, putting it on her lap. She looked like she was about to drift off to sleep, overworked by the surprising amount of effort they had put into this. Every nook and cranny they had searched. Under every tree and every leaf. She must have been tired. He moved his hand to the side of her face, moving some of her hair behind her ear. Jill opened one eye, looking at him curiously about his action.

"Hey, you go catch up with the others." Chris said, "I don't reckon there's anything left here… But I'm gonna do a quick second sweep. I'll give you a call if you need me."

Jill smirked, "Need me, hm? You're always need me, babe." She laughed, joking clearly. Chris gave an awkward chuckle, though thankfully the 'awkward' in his tone was not noticed. She stood up and dusted herself off – mainly brushing her backside to get the cobwebs that had been on the tree roots off. She gave a wave of her hand, and headed off.

Chris stood up and shook his head, kicking some of the leaves aside, "… Why does she have to be right…?"

* * *

A quick cut back to Claire's dorm.

"Gabriel, get off of the closet with that now, mister!" Claire said sternly, looking high up. Gabriel was perched on the dresser with an assortment of things gathered from around the dorm. Assignments, Pencilcases, Remotes, _bras_… He was gathering a decent haul of objects.

And back to it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The tavern seemed quite full when Jill walked in and sat with the others – It was bustling… Happy. Everyone had seemed happy after STARS had finished their mission last time. After the arrest had been made, after people had been reunited, after it was found there had been no casualties. Everyone was at ease, and it appeared STARS would always be welcomed back warmly.

A total of sixteen women had been kidnapped at a point, hidden away by a man. Months had gone without word from them, and as numbers began to rise, with no movement on the case by their current police, a request was put in for STARS to fly over and lend their assistance.

But we seem to be getting off track. The group was sitting at the bar bench now, awaiting drinks. They were all there, except for Chris. He had called to say he had finished up in the forest, but he had not made an appearance since.

Jill looked at the drink in front of her as everything was served; Kahlúa. Eh, she was definitely going to give this one a miss. She pushed the bottle away, to the surprise of the others. They hadn't heard about her little… Drinking adventure, and thought that she would have enjoyed a drink as a change of pace.

"You're not going to have it?" Joseph asked curiously. Jill shook her head.

"Nah… I'm going to go try and find Chris." She said simply, trying not to make her rejection of the drink appear at all suspicious. She rose from her seat, and quickly left.

Brad took her drink, seeing as how she wouldn't be drinking it.

Jill wondered out onto the cobble path. She paused, looking around herself. The path lead off into a few different directions. Towards houses, towards certain shops, one was straying towards to forest. She could hear the ocean down one of the less traveled paths that lead towards a cliff.

Why try and find Chris? He wasn't drinking – At least, not with them. And if he was drinking somewhere else, she was going to beat his sorry arse for it. She smirked at that thought. Good old double meanings… Hell, good ol' Chris' arse. She shook the thoughts from her head before her nose could bleed again.

However, despite a good two hours spent trying to locate him, Jill could find neither hide nor hair of Chris.

She had looked into each store and facility, checking carefully and asking the patrons if they happened to have seen a 'large man dressed in white and green, brown hair as messy as a warthog's but as gentle natured as a lamb, as long as not pissed off'.

Most people said now. A few people said yes, but for much earlier in the day. Some asked her if she was the lion.

She even checked out the hidden strip club, thi8nking that as a possibility. Although offered a job if she ever quit STARS, nothing else turned up. She left, looking up every so often from the cobble path as she walked, dragging her feet.

She walked back to the tavern and glanced inside. Chris wasn't there either – So he hadn't come back while she was looking for him. She turned back and shut the door.

She leaned against the wall next to the door of the tavern, crossing her arms to think.

/Come on Jill Valentine, think… He has to be somewhere./ She thought to herself, /Men don't disappear just like that – especially not ones like Chris. His types are always hard to miss./

She opened her eyes and had another look around once more. Still the path. Still the paths that lead to the houses, shop, and forest. Suddenly she remembered the one, rarely treaded path. That one path, as surprising as it may have been, was the most likely option after her searching. She felt herself filling with dread.

She couldn't remember the last time she ever sprinted that far, that fast. In only a matter of moments, she arrived at the cliff side… The grass was surprisingly green, lush even. But Jill ignored the scenery, walking to the very edge of the click.

Looking over the side, she fell to her knees. Ocean, waves, rocks… Part of her just seemed to know.

"Don't tell me…" She whimpered quietly to herself, feeling her body shake as she looked down. It looked so high… But if anyone were to fall, what a horrible fate it would be. It wasn't a far enough drop to be lethal straight away. The ocean would no doubt drag them out, or whatever resided on the rocks would take a part helping the Reaper. There were caverns and dents in the cliff's side…

"**CHRIS!!**"

Without thinking twice, she gripped the ground and long strands of grass, turned her body and hanging off the edge of the cliff, climbing down…

* * *

A/N;

Now how did Chris wind up there…?

I will actually explain it at some point next chapter XD

No, he's not dead. I could never do that.


	16. Big in Japan

A/N;

Hehe, Drama Llama Fanfic XD very few jokes in this one, sorry. I can safely say that there are some better ones in 17 xD;

I think the Rickroll'd song didn't come up until after when RE's set.. .But hey, I've already fucked up the timeline a couple of time, so what the hell n_n;? I'm screwed anyway xD! Besides, I've been listening to that song on repeat for about an hour now x3

I might end up going over this again when I can really bother with this chapter... Fix things up, make it actually a decent chapter. I just want this one over with :c

Righty-os~, Reviews :3

Hannah554 – It's kind of depressing that I could actually make those dolls XD Oh, pun intended cliffhanger statement XD?

Tiger Snaps – All is good :3 And I hope this is a soon enough update for you XD

Aqua Crescent – Maybe I should have given Steve Skittles instead x3 TASTE THE RAINBOW. Ah, I love that boy for his immaturity :'D Maybe that rabbit's the plot bunny that keeps running away from me XD

ditto9 – But one has to ask, would Chris have to tip more or less XD? I can totally see a group of woodland gangdta critters, with bling and all xD

Raidenlover6 - *Huggles* Danke, means a lot~. The Jar idea ish a fun little thing, no x3?

Kira131 – He's Chris, he _has_ to be alright XD!

7 Rhapsodos – Why not think about arses XD? (Okay that just seems weird out of context!). Je m'emn Fous is meant to be a French saying that means 'I don't give a damn' or 'I don't give a fuck', I believe.

I think that's everyone :3?

Also a thanks to Ditto9 for her pwnsome illustration of Charlie X3 Go checks out her dA. Now.

Resident evil? Nay, that hells spawn's not mine.

'Big in Japan' lyrics belong to Guano Apes. Strangely, they're the band that always remind me of Jill XD

Edit; Hm, I have no idea why it didn't seem to email people O_o! Re-uploaded this chapter... See if that works?

* * *

**Big in Japan**

_**You did what you did to me, now its **__**history**__** I see, h**__**ere**__**'**__**s my comeback on the road again  
Things will**__** happen while they can, **__**I will wait here for my man tonight**_

They say that when you have adrenaline running through your system, you don't feel any pain. If you were to ask Jill Valentine, she would tell you it was true. When you run on adrenaline, you don't feel any pain, or fear… And you don't exactly think.

As soon as her feet had hit the rocks below, she ran, or rather, jumped over them. However one gets across them as quickly as possibly. All things considered it was a miracle she didn't slip, just managing to catch herself each time. Her hands hit the rocks fairly often when she actually tumbled. Her gloves managed to save herself from sustain some pretty nasty gashes on her palms, but they soon tore. From the repeated trip her knee copped a good beating as the pants legs ripped, too. There as no way she would get out of this without at last bruises to her arms, stomach and face as well as she quickly searched each little dent in the cliff's side, nearly killing herself I the process. If she were unable to recover from one false move, she'd no doubt get dragged off to her death. But, most would still blame the adrenaline for her behavior. Most.

She wasn't planning on leaving there until she had found Chris.

The weaves were strong, they not only pulled out, but they dragged in. That would explain exactly what she saw. In one of the deeper caverns in the side of the cliffs, was none other than Chris, lying unconscious on the rocky floor. With much effort, and rushing terribly, she managed to get into the cavern just as a large wave washed over where she had been standing when she noticed him. Some of the watered sprayed into the area. It was ignored.

She grabbed his arms, and as gently as she could, dragged him further into the cavern. Water dripped, and as odd as it was, actually seemed to make it a little bit easier. She knelt down next to him once they were a good distance in, putting two fingers under his jaw. A pulse, god, please let there be a pulse.

Her own body was shaking, and her own new wounds bleed- but she ignored them. She couldn't feel them. If he had no pulse, her heart itself would cease to feel anything anymore.

A light thump against her fingers. Weak, but another thump – a rhythm, pattern, proof he was still alive. It was there, so faint, but it was there. Her heart still continued to pump as she rolled him onto his side quickly, resting his head on her lap. She patted his back, hard.

"C'mon Chris, C'mon…" She repeated again and again quietly to herself, "Don't give up on me… C'mon, Chris…"

She noticed the blood, now that the water had stopped washing over him. The deep gashes, too, all over. She grabbed some bandages she had been carrying (without having a medic in Alpha, it seemed to be a standard thing to do). Although the wounds were deep, there weren't any rocks or stones caught in his flesh. She tied bandages around as many of the wounds as she could, tying them tightly as possible to stop the bleeding and let the blood clot. She bandaged up the worst looking wound on his leg, one very deep, and pressed down on it with one hand, applying as much pressure as possible.

With her spare hand, she grabbed the radio from it's pouch, and quickly hit whatever that transmission button is called.

* * *

"You know, when I look at these things… I wonder if there's another name for them," Brad said, looking over his radio in his hands, "I mean… In a serious situation, 'Walkie-Talkie' just seems so… Kiddie."

Barry scratched the back of his head, thinking, "Don't they go by 'Radio', too?" He quizzed.

Brad thought for a moment, "Yeah, but that can get confusing. I mean, when you think of radio, you think of music." He stated.

"Suddenly I just hear that Rick Astley song playing from Walkie-Talkie radio thingy." Brad said, looking at it for a moment.

"I swear to god, if anyone states 'Never gonna give you up', I may be forced to slap a bitch." Wesker hissed, looking up from his drink, "With a _bar stool_."

Just as Wesker had finished his statement, a bunch of static was emitted from Brad's Radio, startling him and causing him to fall off his seat, before actually paying attention to what was being said, while on the floor. It was Jill.

* * *

With message and location out, action was quickly taken. Everyone just seemed to know what to do, and in now time, the two had returned to the top of the cliff. Rather, had been taken back up. Chris, although breathing, was still unconscious, and was quickly taken away to receive medical attention.

"When will people learn that god hates people going near his cliffs?" Barry asked, shaking his head as there was bustle and noise in the background. Wesker, Joseph, Brad and himself had, naturally, been the first to arrive at the cliff.

"It's like trailer, tractor, house things…" Brad said with a nod. Jill looked over at the two. She gave a weak smile, seeing the joke in it, but was unable to laugh. She just walked to a small area, sitting down on the ground while Chris was off being treated.

She hadn't said a word since the two had been retrieved, and rejected any offer of medical care for herself – She went rather unnoticed, doing her best to make sure it stayed that way.

Now, no-one could figure out what idiot had informed both officer's partners of the incident. Either way, perhaps feeling that this was a good opportunity to make things better between himself and Jill, Justin had some how managed to get to the two n within an hour. No-one knew how he had gotten there so quickly, compared to how long it had taken STARS. It was just one of the conundrums that happened to exist. Then again, perhaps Brad was just like a helicopter version of a Sunday driver.

But that aside, Justin had indeed arrived. Joseph was pestering her as she sat, trying to convince her to get up and head off to the hospital as well – Chris had already been taken off to the local one in the small town.

Brad had pointed Justin in the direction Jill would be as soon as he got off of his own ways of transport. The man ran the way, nearly tripping over Jill and Joseph when he reached the spot. Neither STARS members seemed to notice him, and continued on with their talk.

"C'mon, Jill. Look at you, you're in pretty rough shape, too." Joseph said, having knelt down beside her to talk to her properly, "You know it's better if you go." Jill shook her head.

"If I go there, then there's gonna be less people to look after Chris." She stated simply. She had brought her knees up, crossing her arms over them. She had her head resting on her arms, hiding her face.

"And if you don't go you might get a deadly infection from those nasty cuts of yours, and he won't be happy with that. Seriously, Jill, he's going to be fine. Just get your arse up and demand medical attention." Joseph attempted to convince her, "You know, like you did at that restaurant when they kept messing up your order. I've never seen people react so fast. But beyond the point, quit it, Jill, you need to go." Jill once again shook her head.

"I'm not going until I know Chris is alright." She stated quietly, not looking up. Joseph stood up and put his hands on his hips. He was going to get this girl there, even if he had to tie her up and drag her… Despite the fact that this was no time for bondage references.

/Chris?/ Justin thought, the name once more ringing a bell. That was the name of the man she had mistaken him for when he got home. That was one of her workmates, wasn't it? He didn't care what condition the guy was in, he was getting too suss with this. Why the hell did she care so much?

Joseph jumped slightly, just now noticing Justin standing there. "Who the hell…?" He asked after regaining himself, though still somewhat off guard.

"I'm her _boyfriend_." He said sternly, almost sounding territorial.

"Oh? I never thought you'd be one of 'those guys'…" Joseph said, the last part quietly. Were all people his gender like that? So defensive when their partner happened to have a friend of the opposite gender? Geez.

Jill had looked up as soon as Justin had spoken. She had quickly wiped the tears away from her eyes, "What the hell are you doing here?" She asked, no offense in her tone, just sheer surprise.

"I was called up and told that there was an accident… I came to check up on you, I needed to know you were alright." He explained. Jill looked down once more. That was a surprise. A nice surprise, though…

"Thank you Justin, I really appreciate it… But you didn't have to come all the way out here just for me. I'm fine." She assured him.

"… So, who's the other guy that got hurt?" Justin asked, looking at Joseph. Joseph just looked at him for a moment, unsure of why he would be asking him, and not Jill.

"Chris. Chris Redfield," Joseph answered, "Our Marksman."

"Hmph. So I'm guessing this guy's pretty high rank, then?" Justin asked, but moved on before Joseph could answer. "He must be. The prick's got my own girlfriend wrapped around his little finger."

Jill looked up at him, shocked. Did he even realise what he was saying?

"You know, he probably deserves what he got." Justin shrugged, seeming confident with that statement. After all, this one jerk… How'd he know he wasn't the reason Jill was being so distant lately?

Jill rose to her feet.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she yelled. Justin flinched, stepping back immediately. He hadn't expected a reaction quite like that – A reaction, if one at all, he had expected to be far less… Vicious.

"E… Excuse me?" He asked, not knowing how to react. She took a step forward, destroying the space he had put between them.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" She hissed again, "Where the fuck do you get off?! Over the past months you haven't given my **any** reason to restore my faith in you! And even with that in god damn mind, you fucking come here, and start making accusations about my _friend_?! About the one, fucking, person that has stood with me though **every mother fucking hardship?!** You think you're a better person than him, huh, what the hell proof do you have of that?! Fucking **prove** it to me, cause frankly until you can get over yourself, I never want to see **your fucking mug **_**again**_**!**"

"I'm half waiting for lasers to shoot from her eyes…" Barry said quietly to Brad, who was actually shaking, despite not being in the firing line. Hell, the two were nowhere near them, but they could hear it from where they were.

Jill turned, taking a few steps to storm off. Justin grabbed onto her shoulder, hard to get her to halt.

"Jill, hold up a damn second!!" He demanded. She quickly turned, grabbing his fingers.

"What? I swear to **god** if you've made me turn around for nothing, I'm breaking _each one_ of these fingers." She stated sternly. It was hard for her, to look and act strong while tears were starting to stream from her eyes again. "Hurry up, what do you want?!"

He was in shock. Would she really go through with the threat? He had no idea – His tongue was tied, and his throat was dry. He had never once seen her like this, not in any of their fights. She stared daggers, before basically throwing his hand away.

"I don't have fucking time for this!" She said. It would have been an impressive statement, but her voice broke as she swore.

And she ran. Ignoring her wounds once again, ignoring the pain in her feet, ignoring the world. She just wanted to go home, where none of this had happened. Joseph quickly darted after her, knowing she would be in need of help getting back in her state. He still wished he had some rope to solve this problem.

* * *

There were no apologies, no moments of forgiveness.

Jill was silent as the hospital staff checked over her. She said no words, and never once glanced towards Justin.

Justin bit his tongue. He did not see any way that he was in the wrong. He didn't see any reason for Jill's outburst. He had only been speaking what he assumed to be the truth. But as people know, as soon as the words leave your mouth, nothing is completely truth anymore. He sat quietly, mind going over things to say to her, when she acknowledged his existence once more. And if she didn't, he would make it known. But now was not the place, no matter how much it seemed to be the time.

He wanted to ask how long she was going to ignore him. How long she was going to make him sleep on the couch after this. But all he could do was watch as eventually the cuts and bruises were cleaned and bandaged, while she said not even a word.

Maybe she was just _that_ angry. Maybe she was just numb. Maybe she just wanted to know if Chris was okay. Just maybe.


	17. Hospital

A/N;

Uhm. I don't know. Just please don't kill mes XD

7 Rhapsodos - Yep, Arse is the Australian spelling/pronunciation n_n

Aqua Crescent – After spending only about 8 months together out of a two year relationship, I think something like that was bound to happen between the two X3 Ah, Gabriel will ed to cause a lot of vengeance =o!

Tiger Snaps – Glad you think so n_n Indeed he did. I think a punch would have made him FATALITY X3

Hannah554 – There must be something we can lure him back to the cliff with… XD Mhm, he isn't a very smart boy, is he?

Kira131 – I'm sure a fist meeting his face is inevitable |D I bet he was a nice guy, at some point :c Guess he's just a little too possessive… Wouldn't be a problem if he didn't work so much, eh xD;?

Captain Fox McCloud - Thank you =D! I shall do my best~

Ditto9 – Ah, but Jill loves him. Or, loved, at one stage o_o; Hehe, LASER GOGGLES! Danke Ditto~!

'Hospital' lyrics belong to Lydia.

Oh, Ditto9 told me to say to blame her for this not being uploaded a little while earlier XD

Hopefully this will only have 5 or so chapters left…

* * *

**Hospital**

_**So I've been sleeping with this silence in my mind  
And all I see scares me, and no one knows it, but she, she saved me.**_

No matter how many times they demanded it, no matter how many times they yelled it, no matter how many times they actually went and dragged her back, the hospital staff couldn't keep Ms. Valentine in her room.

After the immediate care had been given to Chris and Jill at the town's hospital they were transferred back to Raccoon city. No doubt a stupid thing to do, but it had been under orders of Wesker himself. Two weeks had passed since then, and they were still there.

Frankly Jill's stubbornness was quite helpful, to the other STARS members at least. They didn't have to keep switching between rooms to visit both. They were just able to all basically cram into one room, which they were doing now. Chris would have to thank whoever organized the size of his room, later – It had a lot of room to move, or in the current situation, let everyone have some breathing space as long as they didn't try and stretch their arms.

Joseph, Forest and Kenneth were sitting on the floor, due to all of the spare seats being taking. Jill was forced (though she wouldn't admit to not minding) to sit on the edge of Chris' bed.

"You know, we're actually considering giving Kevin your job if he gets in." Brad stated as their conversation had wondered to what had been missed in his absence.

"What?! You recommended that, didn't you? Bastard!" Chris gasped, and grabbed the closest thing to him – The lighter on the drawer – And threw it at Brad. However, it just flew over Brad's head, hitting the wall behind him.

"Your aim's starting to suck really badly." Brad commented. His confidence that had come with that statement was short lived as Jill picked the remote for the TV opposite them up off of the bed and threw it directly at his head – Copping him right in between the eyes. In his style, it caused him to fall over. No-one really bothered to help him up, despite his whining.

Now with a lack of conversation, Forest decided to ask a question that had been asked a few days prior.

"Hey Chris, do you remember anything else that happened?" Forest quizzed, crossing his legs. His knees would start hurting it he sat the same way Joseph did.

Chris leaned back on his pillow, thinking. "I don't think I can remember much new… I remember leaving the forest, and heading over to the cliff. I'm sure I saw something down there… I dunno from there. Maybe slipped on the edge… Maybe I tried to climb down and fell? Can't remember." He shrugged. Although he did try to remember, not much seemed to the ever come back to him. It was distressing, but he didn't show it. He was beginning to think it was just divine punishment for the men he had been forced to shoot some time ago.

"Maybe the chipmunk pushed you." Jill stated.

"You know what? That wouldn't surprise me! That bastard's working with Gabriel, I swear!" Chris replied, a clear smirk on his face. All the right things to say always seemed to be said by her.

"Hey, you leave my adopted ferret son out of this, Redfield." Jill huffed, though obviously in a joking manner. She shoved his leg with her hand, and the unexpected action cause him to sit up straight.

"Careful Jill! We don't need him suffering anymore medical mishaps!" Barry warned, putting his hand forward in a 'stop' motion.

"Oh come on, what can little 'ol me do, exactly? I'm _harmless_."

"This coming from the girl who can knock down doors if the locks won't co-operate..." Forest said, quickly looking away to avoid Jill's eye contact.

"Hey, those locks usually co-operate, thank you. And it's in the lock picker's hand book to do that as a last resort, which it usually is." Jill stated sternly.

"What about when you kicked open the laundry door?" Joseph asked.

"Hey, hey. It was my turn to use the dryer, to tell if I was going to let Enrico take my turn just because he had a key." Jill said firmly, leaning back on the bed.

The TV was still on – Just as background noise, but the sound of a popular TV show played. Chris, not seeming to have realised that the remote had already been used as projectile, leaned forward in an attempt to find it. However, when he reached his hand out to grab, it turned into a more of an accidental grope.

"… You do know that that's my chest, right?" Jill asked, looking at the culprit. Chris didn't move his hand, instead, seeming to get a good feel. Hell, when else was he ever going to get away with something like this?

"… So it would seem." He said, acknowledging the fact.

"And as long as it's been since I've been felt up, you can let go, you know." Jill stated. The other members just watched, Rebecca seeming the most interested. It struck them all as strange that Jill hadn't snapped, stood up, and yelled at Chris for it. They all tried to remind themselves that it was because of their close working relationship. More over, they probably all just found the whole thing amusing.

The door opened, without a knock or a call, and Chris quickly stopped his groping business and drew his hand back, trying to make it seem like nothing had ever happened.

"Hey, Amy." Jill said bluntly, placing her hands in her lap and leaning forward, balancing on the edge of the bed.

"Oh, hey there." Amy said, seeming less than enthusiastic to know of Jill's presence. Amy stepped past the members of STARS – Actually, pushed past, heading over to the bed. Forest gave a yelp, his hand being trotted on by Amy, and didn't even receive an apology. Just watching this was even trying Richard's patience. Forest had put his hand on Rebecca's lap for her to look over. He was smart enough not to take advantage of the positioning.

"… You're still in bed Chris? It's taking you awhile to recover, Sweety…" Amy said, sounding sincere. Jill did her best not to hear – Her voice hurt her ears, and annoyed her more than it used to. She did her best not to speak up, but…

"What a great acknowledgment… Oh mighty Amy, please bestow upon us more of your knowledge." Jill said dully.

"… If the girlfriend's anything like the boyfriend, I'm gonna bail." Joseph said quickly, rising from his place on the floor and dusting himself off, "… Especially with that Valentine attitude in the vicinity." Amy scrunched up her noise, a glare in her eyes. But Jill's own gaze was full of daggers. She seemed less than keen to move from her spot on Chris' bed.

"Do you mind Jill?" Amy huffed, "This is mine and Chris' time, you know."

"Really? I thought this was Chris' 'I would really love the support of my family **and** friends while I recover' time. Last time I checked it wasn't a double sized bed." Jill bit back, hard.

"Okay, I'm bailing with you." Richard said, and once that had been stated, the room was vacant of everyone except for Chris, Jill and Amy.

Amy gave a loud 'Hmph' and looked to the side. It had seemed like that at each visit over the past two weeks, it had been impossible for her to talk to Chris alone. Jill was always there, stubbornly refusing to leave. Amy wasn't sure what Jill's actual reasoning for doing so was, but she put it down to Jill just wanting to torment her and Chris lately. What had she possibly done to Jill? Jill was just being selfish at the moment, so Amy thought.

Chris wasn't quite sure how to respond to all of this. He wanted to take Amy's side, because that's what a man is meant to do for his partner… Of that sort of relationship, but he had always been a firm believer in the 'Bros before Hoes' saying. Well, the girls would no doubt work it out for themselves… After all, they were both mature women.

"You know what Amy? I wish, I swear to god I _wish_ I had slept with that last boyfriend of yours that came onto me!" Jill barked. "You must be fucking lousy for him to have been after me even while you were getting him to hump you like a **rabbit!**"

Mature women, right.

Before Amy could come back with a remark, Jill had stormed out of the room. Whatever Amy could have said, Jill would no doubt have something ten times worse to counter with.

Amy growled, but seemed to be quite pleased with her victory. Chris made no comment, feeling bad enough for having let it escalate that far.

Outside, Jill stood with her back against the door. Maybe she could get some anger management treatment while she was here. She was disappointed with her own behaviour, but she couldn't help being so angry. It just didn't seem fair. Maybe that was just jealousy speaking… Why lie? Jealous even though in her own mind, she knew this whole thing was her fault. Could it have gone differently if she had answered 'no' when Chris asked if she knew someone? Could she had just cheated, and no-one would have known? It was too much thinking for her, too much for now.

Jill sighed and looked down the hall. Her room was only a few doors away. The outside of it could be recognized easily. He happened so often, that the staff eventually just stopped cleaning outside of her room. There were flowers thrown out there, scattered across the ground. There were still some flowers in her room, but all of the ones thrown out were the ones that Justin had brought for her. Over the last two weeks she hadn't looked him in the eye, turned on her side when he entered the room while she was still actually in bed, refused to answer any calls from him. She just kept pretending like he didn't exist. How childish she felt doing it, especially since the reason she was doing it was no good. Chris couldn't be her partner in any other way that mission partners.

Lying down sounded like a good idea to her. She trudged back off to her room, deciding to leave the two on their own, like she had been so reluctant to each time Amy visited.

* * *

"… Why are you two fighting so much?" Chris asked after a pause, "… Can't you just give her a break?"

"… Give her, a break?" Amy asked, looking at him in shock, seeming offended, "Give her, a break? She's the one that's causing all of this!"

Chris covered his ears. She was shouting, now. "Amy, please. Lower your voice. My head still hurts."

Amy once again huffed, sitting down on the closest seat and crossing her arms. "She seems so… Ugh, I swear she's gotten worse lately, like she's on a constant PMS."

"Please, not something I need to know about…" Chris said, shaking his head. Amy looked at the TV, and gave a slight 'ooo' sound.

"Where's the remote?" She asked sweetly, "I wanna turn it up." Chris groaned. Couldn't she see that he had no way of knowing the answer?

"You know," She began once again. "If I were you… I'd try and keep a distance from that girl. I don't even call her that much anymore. It's like how dogs get worse when they get older if they're trained to be bad puppies."

Chris wanted to pull the covers over his head. How much he _wanted_ to defend Jill while she wasn't there…

* * *

"What are you doing, you big lug? You should be sleeping, moron." Jill's voice could be heard saying.

Chris turned slightly, just as a quilt was placed over his shoulders – ironically, the one Richard had been knitting. It was late now, dark. Amy had left an hour ago, and Chris was simply standing on the balcony that was connected to his room.

"Can't sleep, Jill will eat me." He smirked, turning to face the balcony railing as she stood beside him closely.

"You wish." She smirked back, picking up on the unintentional innuendo.

"Always on the ball, aren't you?" Chris chuckled before coughing. Jill patted him on the back gently. He would have swatted her hand away, but it was hard to do when the arm she was near happened to be in a cast. "I'm alright Jill, stop that."

"Sorry, but it's just what my mother taught me when I was a child." She shrugged.

"You know it doesn't help." He stated. "You're just gonna bruise me!"

"Pfft, fuck you." She said, said, rolling her eyes.

"When, Where, How hard?"

"When I won't break you by doing so, the closest closet at the time and so hard you won't be forgetting me anytime soon." She answered in a matter-of-fact tone. The two paused for a few moments, before laughing.

"Definitely always on the ball." Chris nodded.

"Don't you forget it." Jill said cockily, crossing her arms. "Hey, you know it's raining, right?" He nodded.

"Yeah, I can smell it. I always loved that smell when I was little." He explained.

"Rain against asphalt, for some reason it's always so peaceful." Jill sighed. They both fell silent for a moment, just listening to the sounds around them – mainly the rain against the roof, grass and pavement. Jill put her hand out over the railing, catching a few droplets on her palm. It felt nice against her wounded skin.

"… You know, it's ironic. You and Claire have been here more than Amy has."

"Little Sisters and best friends will do that." Jill shrugged.

"Sisters yes, best friends, no."

"… Where are you going with this, Chris?"

He turned to her. She was looking at the ground. He wished he could read her expression, but… Something told him this was either the time to let it drop, or to push on hard with it. He decided to give her a break.

"I dunno, really. Just friendly conversation."

She nodded, looking back up. The sky didn't look like it would clear at all, but the view was nice. It looked over what seemed to be the garden of the hospital. There was a large tree in the middle. If it had been near the balcony, she could have climbed down at any time, despite the fact that they were on the third floor.

"… So, what do you think of the doctor's prognosis?" Chris quizzed.

"I reckon he's wrong." She stated simply.

"What makes you think that?"

"I had the same doctor tell me I was pregnant when I was sixteen, I think I know better."

"How'd you know straight away?"

"I was a virgin, dumbarse, I think I was pretty sure, otherwise there would be some deity having a fuck load of explaining to do." She answered. She paused, looking at him. Even though he had been in here for all that time, there were still so many bandages. His leg had recovered, he could walk, even though he was under firm orders not to… He still looked like he was part mummy.

She'd come off second best against the cliff as well when she went searching for him. Her own hands were still bandaged, though she defied orders and used them frequently. Her left wrist still bled quite badly if she turned the wrong way – One of the rocks had slit her glove open, as well as her arm. They'd patched up her stomach and sides, after a few stitches for some cuts, and all the scratches on her face and neck were basically healed now. She had a nasty scar near her jugular, but it couldn't be noticed. Looking at Chris, though, she just wanted to get some dynamite and blow up that whole fucking cliff.

"Sixteen and still a virgin, hm? The others girls must have teased you for that." He joked.

"Oh, and what about you Mr. Cocky?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips. She ignored the sharp pain from the recently stitched wound there.

"Seventeen, baby." He scoffed.

"Pfft, manslut." She said, shaking her head. Chris chuckled.

"If I'd known you back then you _know_ you would have taken me." He stated confidently. She shook her head.

"Now now, you know I'm the type of girl you have to work for." She smirked once more.

"Then how come you're with Justin?" He asked. He quickly bit his tongue. /Shit, did I actually say that?!/

Jill looked down, digging her nails into her arm. That question was… Tough. "… He was a good guy, once." She said, shaking her head, "I should be happy I have him, I guess… I'm not alone."

Chris shook his head. Just by the sound of her tone, he could tell his question had caused her pain. He would make it up to her one day.

Jill seemed to snap out of it, looking at him again.

"Come on you overgrown ape, Claire'll be here soon to watch 'Adolescent and Tired'." She quickly bit her bottom lip. Watch, she should have known better. Chris seemed to feel her unease return.

"Hey, stop fretting. Is my pudding still over on the drawer, or did you eat it?"

"I might have had _a little_." She answered.

"Then could you lead me back over before you finish it?" he chuckled, stubbing out his cigarette on the railing he held onto. Jill moved to his other side, grabbing onto his arm with one hand, and putting the other around his back, leading him back to his bed.

As he sat down, he felt the patches over his eyes. Jill swatted his hands away from them, but as he did, he grabbed hold of her wrist. He put his other hand over hers, and just sat quietly.

"… You'll be fine, Chris." She said warmly, sure of that fact. Chris gave a soft nod, believing her. He hated not being able to see her expression – He hated being 'blind'.

The first thing he wanted to see when he got his eyesight back was Jill, even if the doctors didn't think he'd make a 'complete' recovery.

"Hey Jill, random question…" He began, shifting on his spot on his bed.

"And what would that be?" She asked, not sitting down just yet.

"Would I be able to ask for a hug this time?" He asked simply. Jill gave no verbal answer, but put her arms around him and gave him a tight hug, just as he had requested.

Claire stood at the door, not saying anything to break up the two.

* * *

A/N;

So it seems Chris has a Seeing-Eye Jill :D I hope you guys can see that I was trying to hide the fact that he was blind, and it wasn't something that I just threw in the last quarter on a whim _; I knew what I was doing… I hope.

Can anyone guess the real name of the soap opera from this chapter XD?


	18. Soulmate

A/N; Meh xD; not much to say.

I realised something funny… Chapter 1 compared to what I'm writing now was REALLY short XD

Ugh, blame me listening to Alcazar so much, but expect a 'discothèque' scene pretty soon. Not chapter 19, though, I have too many crack plans for that one XD

Well that as depressing… While I was trying to finish the chapter I checked the 'just in' segment… 7 Twilight updated stories O_o; Sure goes to show how far out of the loop I am.

Reviewies~!

7 Rhapsodos – Perhaps X3 We'll just have to wait and see. I'm sure Wesker will tape it, if it happens ;D East Closet for the win!

Kira131 – I would seem there's a line for punching XD It will happen… When I can find when :c

Tiger Snaps – Cliffs like to leave people injured :c I think it was biased towards Chris because Mr. Cliff has no eyes D:! Oh well you learn something new every day =D I think someone needs to invent a 'hire a cliff' service XD

Hannah554 – I'm sure we can lure him with… Pornography or something. If all else fails, we can get Gabriel to chase him! Believe it, he's as blind as bat X3 But he's the alrighty Redfield, he shouldn't be for long.

Aqua Crescent – Bing bing bing! The Young and The Restless is correct =D! both parties need to move their arse in the admitting 'I love you' department X3 Glad to hear the blind build-up worked, then X3

Captain Fox McCloud – Redfield and Valentine, they move so sloooow, atleast in the emotions department XD I'll try and keep it going as long as it needs to be X3 Don't want to drag it out for TOO long, especially when I have a second long arse fic in mind :c

Ditto9 – BLAME BLAME BLAME X3 Oh gosh, that's a scary thought :c We'd better go buy a stick, or get Wesker to make one. Hey, if he can make a Sex Jar, he can make some sort of Useless Character Beating Tool X3 Yay, glad to hear :3 Sorry for making you read it twice XD

Forgot to mention last chapter, but RE still isn't mine :c

'Soulmate' lyrics belong to Natasha Bedingfield.

* * *

**Soulmate**

_**Is it possible Mr. Loveable is already in my life? Right in front of me, or maybe you're in disguise.  
Who doesn't long for someone to hold, who knows how to love you without being told.**_

"Are you sure that you're alright, Chris?" Jill asked slowly, concern in her voice. Chris sighed, though seemed amused by the whole thing. This had probably been about the sixth time or so she had asked the question.

"I'm fine, Jill." He assured her, shaking his head, "I can see perfectly." He felt a tug on his arm and stopped, having basically been forced to. He looked at Jill questioningly, and she gave a slight glare in return.

"Then how come you nearly ran into that tree?" She asked, unimpressed.

"I didn't nearly run into it… I was going to give it a hug! When was the last time you hugged a tree, Jill?" Chris asked, putting his arms out for the motion. Jill shook her head.

"There's no tree, Chris. You're as blind as a bat." She said, appearing quite sad about it. Chris looked at the ground, the action itself seeming to apologize for lying.

It had been about another three weeks. Tension between Jill and Amy hadn't died down since that last visit. Thankfully, Jill had been allowed to leave a few days later, though she still basically lived in the corridors of the hospital. Chris, on the other hand, just seemed to be out on a technicality. He felt so bored, so useless at that hospital; he had pulled every string he could just to get out of there and back to work. Even if he probably wasn't quite ready to be back.

Jill put a hand on his back and rubbed gently, coaxing him to keep walking. He didn't appear enthusiastic with the idea. He stood where he was, feeling ashamed.

Jill shook her head. Maybe she shouldn't have said all of that to begin with. But she just wanted to try and set him straight. Now she just wanted to get him to work in one piece. They had walked – From Chris' apartment where she had met up with him that morning, and were close now. He couldn't turn back now, could he?

She continued to rub his back, but stood on her toes and gave him a quick kiss, more like a peck, on the cheek. "Come on you big lug, we'll be late." She stated simply, trying to make sure Chris couldn't connect the kiss with any emotion. He turned to look away from her, regardless, and she didn't catch a glance of the red tinge that now covered his cheeks. She gave him a bit of a shove, once more trying to get him to move. Chris managed to take a step forward, while Jill looked towards the station that wasn't too far away.

"I'm going, I'm going." He stated, still not looking in her direction. He couldn't get the colour to leave his cheeks. "No need to make me hurry, Ms. Blue jay."

She looked at him, though couldn't see his gaze – Why was he looking away? "Hey, don't you start calling me that, too, or I'll find something to call _you_."

* * *

It would have been nice if the room had been silent. Like the eerie sort, or the accepted one when they were all working hard. But it was far, far from that. Instead, every few minutes, after some bickering between Forest and Joseph, there were screams. Caught off guard, taken aback, frightened screams.

"Shoot it Forest, Shoot it!"

"I can't you idiot, my gun flashlight is out of ammo!"

"Hit it with the bat, hit it with the **bat**!!"

Wesker crossed his arms, not knowing whether to watch the scene or tell them to get back to work. The others, excluding Chris, Wesker and Jill, were gathered around the two. They were watching the TV that had once again been rolled, the PS2 hooked up this time.

"What are they playing?" Chris quizzed, hoping to be answered. He couldn't actually tell if anyone else was left around him.

"That game 'ObsCure'. That one that is set within a high school, the one that's second game has the plant save points." Wesker answered, shaking his head, "Survival Horrors! What's the point of all of that?"

"Gah, Wall Monster, Wall Monster! **SHOOT IT**!"

"I **STILL** DON'T HAVE AMMO!"

"Sure is a loud game…" Chris said, shaking his head, and getting back to what he was doing. Which wasn't much to begin with.

Chris tapped his pen repeatedly on one of the scrap pieces of paper beside his work. He had no way of telling if Wesker had noticed his lapse in work after his ObsCure tangent, even greater than the usual lapses. You can't hear stares, even if people say that if they're filled with enough anger you can feel them. How long was it going to be before he was shipped back to hospital?

Jill looked over her shoulder to Chris. She could see he was struggling, but didn't exactly have any way of helping. Well, a conversation may as well be struck up… He was obviously thinking way too hard. Time to take his mind off whatever it was.

"You know, it's a shame you fell off that cliff." Jill finally pepped up. Chris put his pen down, running the statement through his mind again.

"You just realise this now?" he asked, a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Aw, shut up. I meant cause now I can't take you up on that offer." She said with a pout, even if it wouldn't be seen. Her tone of voice basically spoke it, anyway.

"Offer?"

"The one of pretty much helping me out if I needed sex." She answered, laughing as soon as the words had left her mouth. It was a joke, all in good fun. However, Chris groaned. He let his head hit the desk with a loud **bang**, causing Jill to jump.

And it was that day that Chris Redfield realised his second arch enemy was forever going to be a cliff. /I don't think the term 'rejected' is a strong enough word for this right now./ he thought bitterly to himself.

"Are you alright?" Jill asked, still recovering from the jolt of shock she had felt when the bang had startled her. "What's the matter, Chris? You can't possibly be desperate with… Amy around."

* * *

Ah, why did it have to be Monday? Why couldn't it be Tuesday? Curse the order of days in a week. Lunch time was rolling around, and without the hat option, it was one of those 'whatever you can scavenge from the kitchen or fridge down stairs' days.

Reluctantly, Jill got up from her seat. As much as she didn't want to eat whatever few edible morsels there were in the kitchen, she was hungry, and not fond of starving. But she did not get very far…

Jill yelped loudly, the strange sound causing just about everyone else to look over. It would seem that Chris had had the same idea, but due to bad timing, there had been, well, an accidental arse grab, as the two had been in a very close area, and gotten up at near the same time.

"S… Shit! Sorry Jill!" Chris quickly apologized. He'd brought his hand back, hiding it behind his back, as if not wanting to make the mistake again. He had to admit though, if she hadn't reacted quite like that, he probably wouldn't have moved his hand back. Or away from that one spot to begin with.

Jill quickly turned to face Chris and put her hands on her backside, taking a few steps away from him. She looked at him silently, wide-eyed, before dashing out of the door, the blush relatively clear on her face. The others all laughed as soon as she had headed out of the office. It was all very amusing seeing Jill react that way.

"She… Didn't take that too well, did she?" Chris asked, keeping his hands behind his back, though waggled his fingers. He didn't exactly mind the feel.

/I know, I know, I shouldn't think it. But for just a quick grab, she's got a nice tush./

* * *

Jill groaned as she entered the room once again. She had gotten and eaten lunch before she came back, but a new problem waited her.

There was no mistaking the back of that girl – For some reason the braids of blonde hair just struck Jill as _obnoxious_. Hey, maybe it was just Jill who was being obnoxious, but no-one said that she had to be happy about Amy's arrival. Why the hell was she here to begin with? She barely ever dropped in to see Chris. Hell, this was first time she'd seen her visit him at work.

Jill attempted to head back to her desk, but couldn't just ignore Amy's wave greeting, sadly. It was very clear that it had been forced – No doubt just to make Chris happy. Already he seemed tense about the situation. Having his girlfriend and his best friend in the same room. Not exactly a good combination knowing those two women.

"…Hey." Jill grunted, forced to reply. She did her best to hide the fact that it was grunted to begin with. She tried to sound… Chirpier. Amy grinned brightly. That, too, was clearly forced. Why were the two acting? There was no point trying to stitch this up. Jill couldn't seem to put aside her bitterness… Jealousy? "Hey, listen, I don't mean to be rude, but I need to go back and get to work."

"It's alright," Amy said, twirling a strand of her hair again, "Chris and I were just going to get something to each, weren't we?" Chris gave a nod. It was obvious they had been discussing her leading him out of the room before Jill had entered.

"Why don't you run along, Jill? You don't need to bother," Amy grinned, putting her hand out for Chris to grab, "You're not helpful at the moment." Nice backhanded comment.

Perhaps Chris' aim was off today, or maybe he thought the girl's had moved, because as Jill growled and turned to leave, instead of grabbing Amy's hand, he instead took hold of Jill's, taking both girls by surprise.

"_Chrisss_, I'm over **HERE**!" Amy snapped. She took no time working up to this outburst – She had been insulted straight away, just by the simple action.

"Subliminal Messages?" Jill chuckled, and then pulled her hand back. However, the action failed. She was barely able to pull her hand a few centimeters away. Chris had just held onto it. "…"

"Really? I could have sworn… Sorry, Jill." Chris apologized, though Jill was able to tell from the tone of his voice, and the smirk on his face, that it had been intentional. Why, however, she didn't exactly know. Although Amy wasn't able to see Chris' expression, she still wasn't pleased with the turn of events. Especially since Chris hadn't let go of Jill's hand yet.

"… Guess I just trust you a little bit more not to walk me into walls." Chris laughed, seeming to ignore Amy. What was there to acknowledge? It wasn't like he could see the disapproving looks she was shooting at him.

"Maybe you just like holding my hand." Jill said, giving her own joke back, though her voice was lowered. It was just a joke for them, Amy wasn't invited to it. This was friends business, not girlfriend business.

"Maybe." Chris' own voice matched Jill's quietness, and it lacked the joking nature that had been in it a moment ago. The single word answer made Jill flinch, especially when she felt Chris' grip on her hand tighten. She tried to wiggled her fingers, to get loose, but couldn't.

"… Are you feeling alright, Chris?" Jill asked, doing her best to make her tone even quieter than it already was, honestly just a whisper. Chris attempted to look her in the eyes.

He could still only see in patches, with dark spots and blurs. He breathed in heavily, his shoulders falling as he breathed out. How could he answer in words? He could tell he must have been worrying her – she sounded so concerned. In the back of his mind he wondered if she worried about Justin as much. Justin, hm? What had he ever done? What had he actually done to win her? Chris wished that he'd known. That he had done whatever it had been before Justin. It wasn't _fair_.

He still held a tight grip on her hand, he was probably hurting her. And he was. Jill bit her bottom lip, just trying to distract herself from it.

About a minute of silence past between them.

"… Chris…?"

He loosened his grip, and gently let go of her hand. He turned back to Amy's direction, though not before giving Jill a sad, apologetic look. Amy seemed to have an annoyed look still plastered on her face; one which seemed to be appearing more and more – Wondering what had taken so long. Jill turned away from the two.

She knew the simple fact. There was no way that she would ever be able to work with Amy in the office. Especially while she was on a 'Chris is _mine_' tangent. She grabbed a pen from her desk and stuffed a bunch of documents she was currently working on under her arm, and briskly left the room.

* * *

Down the hall, down the stairs, past doors and to the entrance. There had to be some sort of room she could just sit and hopefully get some work done in. Ah, the waiting room. That would suffice. Hopefully.

She turned, heading for the correct door that Rebecca often got lost trying to find, and wondered in. It wasn't too full that day – Or perhaps it was, and she just hadn't noticed. She didn't really bother looking at any of the individuals in the room when she sat down, contemplating putting the papers on the floor.

She was still… Displeased, perhaps let down. All of this didn't seem right. But one could say she was being selfish – Nearly getting in the way of a couple. She had better back off for a bit – This was not her place to intervene. She shook her head and sighed, regardless.

"This would be one of the best times to talk to a certain Redfield…" She mumbled, but with enough volume to be heard.

"But I thought Chris had snuck out here?"

Jill jolted and looked beside her. How, _how_ could she have possibly missed the female Redfield sibling sitting beside her? Not acknowledging the poor girl must have confused the hell out her. "He… Is?" She answered, noticing how Claire appeared amused by her surprise, "'Course, I can't exactly bitch to him about his girlfriend, can I?"

An 'aah' of understanding escaped Claire's lips as she stood up, standing in front of Jill before giving a bow. It could be seen from her odd movement that Claire had originally been planning a curtsy, but had realised part way through that she was wearing neither a skirt nor a dress. "Claire Redfield, at your bitching service, Ms. Valentine."

"… What are you doing here, anyway?" Jill asked as Claire straightened up and returned to her seat, "Planning on chucking more cats through Irons' window?" Claire gave a slight shrug in reply, looking over at the TV in the room.

"Well kinda. I actually caught a whole bunch of skunks the other day… And besides, my soaps are on, and it's better to watch it here than charge up the electricity bill in the dorm, you know? And not to mention, you never ended up catching up with me to get _this_ off of me." She stated. Before Jill could inquire what 'this' exactly was, Claire thrusted a ball of sable fur into her hands.

"Gabriel!"

"And if that little bastard tells you where he hid my bras, be nice and tell me where, okay? I only have about three left thanks to him." Claire said, shaking her head as Jill hugged the ferret she had been separated from for far too long.

"So, there's no other reason you're here?" Jill quizzed. Claire shook her head.

"The way I work's fairly simple. What about you? Shouldn't you be in the STARS office?" Claire asked, taking her eyes away from the TV when they had wondered back over again. Jill gave a rough shrug, a displeased look on her face.

"The lovely Amy's decided to visit, and I thought it would be better to leave the office before someone could state 'There will be blood'." Jill answered, the tone in her voice containing quite an amount of anger. "Comes into _my_ workplace…"

"… What does her car look-like?"

Jill looked at her strangely. She had a feeling she knew exactly what Claire was planning. He herself was amazed that they seemed to be developing a similar hatred for the woman.

"Are you considering stuffing those skunks in her car?"

"After riling them up a bit." Claire answered in a matter-of-fact tone. She looked back to the TV, a small smile on her face, "They're still outside. Hopefully Kevin's pack hasn't bothered them yet."

"You seem very… worked up for your cause." Jill noted. Claire did indeed seem very, intent on what she has doing. A good ally to have.

"What can I say? Other pairings piss me off." Claire shrugged, her smile quite a bit bigger following the statement.

"Excuse me? You sound like you're writing fan fiction for a game or something."

"You have no idea what I do with my spare time…" Claire said, shofting her eyes as she stood up and dusting herself off. "You and Gabriel feel like helping me out? I need you to help me point out the chick's car."

"I can't help but see this as a little… Low." Jill sighed, turning her gaze to the door. She knew she would feel guiltier than she currently was just for the thought of a small taste of revenge.

"Jill Valentine, we are women." Claire stated, clenching her hand into a fist and placing it on her chest, looking like she was giving some sort of valiant speech. "When it comes to the men in our lives, related or not, we can sink as low as we want to if it means we're defending our territory! Now, are you in?!"

"Just as long as you don't go naming the skunks." Jill answered, standing up as well. She had been so close to just shouting 'YES!', grabbing Claire's hand and dashing out of the station. But she manage to hold herself back from that. Claire's expression fell.

"Aww, But Aaron likes his name." She stated. Jill shook her head.

"You're as bad as Wesker…"

* * *

"For Christ's sake…" Jill muttered quietly to herself, standing outside of the apartment door. Before she could decide whether to go in or not, she moved aside and turned around, leaning her back against the wall before slumping down. She could tell her voice was breaking, but she couldn't stop herself from talking. "Why's it have to be like this…?"

She brought her knees up, and put her arms around herself. She hadn't been here for a long time. Since she had been out of hospital, she'd called up on a favour owed to her by Forest and had been staying at him place. She hadn't been home since she had left for the mission.

And god, she didn't want to be there now. Her only comfort was Gabriel on her shoulder.

Her mind wondered back to her confusing and broken emotions. It was like she was some giddy school girl. Back when you'd talk to your friends about the guy you liked, and how you hoped that he would ask you out to whatever gathering was coming up. How you used to just daydream to simply hold their hand. Back when a kiss was the most intimate thing you could have. At least, that's how it had been for Jill when she was in high school. From what she had heard, these days people just jumped right onto the sex train when it came to it. No-one cared about holding hands anymore.

She was only twenty three, but she felt old fashioned. She would have just settled for one more, warm hug from Chris. But there would be no way she could count on herself to let go of him. Why hadn't this gone away? Why were the feelings still there? Puppy crushes come and go. Why hadn't this gone yet?

She breathed in deep, her voice catching in her throat. She nearly choked on the air. But she shook her head and stood up, turning towards the door. She was just going to go in, and straight to bed. She had no reason to give explanations, nor did she want to anymore. /Harden the fuck up, Valentine./


	19. Shine On

A/N;

So yeah… I know there's been a massive lapse of updates… You have one person to blame : My Friend Danta XD She's been coming over recently so we could finally play ObsCure (If you don't know of it, go find it. It's on the computer, Wii, and PS2. If you don't own it, go find it. Now. Seriously, and if you have a problem with the first one, play the second because it is sheer AWESOME. Buy it, download it, rent it, borrow it, I don't care, just play it DX You people have no idea what you're missing out on!! Right, off topic, sorry XD).

I have a habit of being addicted to two things at a time. One never changes (This is Shadow Hearts, also another game you all should play DX!!), and the other, well, keeps changing. Today, the mental image in my head was Yuri Hyuga on a throne to the left wearing a crown, while Steve Burnside, Heather Mason, Lloyd Irving, Taro and Keats were sitting back watching Kenny Matthews and Vergil have some sort of battle of epic proportions. It's pretty nuts in my head. Eh. You probably won't know half the people I mentioned that reside in my mind!

So realizing that I have a strange Obsessive nature, you can see why I've been struggling to get this chapter written xD?

Oh, and also, it should be noted that I was watching Danta use the Wii Fit. You'll be able to see what part to blame on her as well XD

Reviewzers :3 I completely luffles you guys!

Hannah554 – Pornography, the answer to everything XD! Hell, we'll just throw Amy ff, who cares? Worst she can probably do is scratch us.

Ditto9 – Glad others can feel the ObsCure love X3! I think Claire's speaking what's on our minds X3 Glad to see they're coming across with personalities rather than being one dimensional :c (That's always my fear XD; )

Aqua Crescent – For some reason I got the mental image of Charlie in the car, trying to eat the skunks XD Video Game ranting, gotta love it. Ah, the confrontation, there will be blood…

Devil Rebel – I'm glad you're enjoying it :D I actually like that way of putting it, actually X3 *High-fives*

Omniaki78 – Here's your fix then XD Say hi to him :o! And make sure you're not interrupting anyone XD

Kira131 – I'm glad you liked it :'3 It's kind of funny how I can make people 'aw' when I'm a love cynic myself XD *Highfives self* *Knocks self out* z_z;

So, nice fat long chapter for you all X3 Hopefully makes up for it. It'd about two chapter's worth.

(Oh yeah, how the hell does someone write a song part?! _; EXCUSE MY FAIL).

FORWARD WE MARCH!

'Shine On' lyrics belong to Alcazar :3

* * *

**Shine On**

_**Late in the evening, The company I keep, I walk the road to nowhere, I put myself to sleep,  
Pray I find a savior, Someone to take my hand, And if only for the moment I could see the promised land**_

"What the hell are you crying for, Jill?"

"I don't want to talk to you right now, Justin." The reply was simple, emotionless as Jill pushed past him and walked inside. He must have heard her behind the door, because before she was able to grab the doorknob, he had opened it from the other side.

He grabbed her shoulder, more than fed up with the cold way she had been treating him. Hell, she hadn't even told him that she had left the hospital!

"It's not a matter of whether you want to talk to me or not." He stated sternly, unable to show the concern he felt. Jill jerked her shoulder from his grip. "C'mon, Jill… Whatever I've done, I can fix it! I haven't changed Jill, and if I have… Then I can go back, for you."

'_You know, he probably deserves what he got.'_

Jill roughly shook her head and looked at him, "No… No, you're never going to change back into the person I thought you were." She stated, "… How long have you been like this? How long have you been so spiteful?!"

"Spiteful?" He repeated before becoming quite offended, "Spiteful?! If I've been spiteful, what the hell have you been?!"

She growled, looking away. She didn't know the answer. She knew she most likely wasn't acting logically, but…

Justin took a step up before Jill could reply. She would be thankful for it, since it would be the statement that would make her refrain from apologizing and trying to make amends.

"Hey, you know what?! You don't god damn deserve someone like me!" Justin snapped. Who the hell did she think she was saying all of this?

"Aw how cute, you have a crush on yourself! I'd be careful, because the guy you have a crush on is a douche!" Jill snapped back, shoving him hard to push him through the door. Even though all she wanted was to be away from him, she knew that she couldn't put any distance between them – Stepping forward to keep in his face about the issue.

She didn't know why this whole thing seemed so... Emotional, but it was. No, that was a lie, she did know. She'd spent so long with him, so long simply for him, and it was all crashing down. How long ago has she accepted that he wasn't the guy her 'friends' continued to praise him to be?

She just did what she could to get it over with quickly. As soon as Justin had found his footing, Jill gave him another shove.

"You're really something, you know that Jill? You should step back and take a look in the mirror!" Justin barked, hitting Jill's arm away before she had a chance to withdraw back. Whether it was a natural reaction or just being far too fed up with Justin all together, once that action had been taken she stepped forward and punched him in the jaw – Hard. She didn't get through Delta training and STARS missions to hit like a _girl_.

"Justin, you forget one thing. I'm sorry, but I'm not a lady and I'm not afraid to pick a fight, especially when it's for my own good!" She shouted as he staggered back, holding the badly bruising – possibly broken – area.

Jill turned on her heels and stormed back into the apartment, slamming the door behind her. Her back against the door, she slid down to ground.

"Looks like I'm all alone again." Jill stated after she could no longer hear Justin's swearing, pounding on the door or his footsteps leading away. She bit her bottom lip, this time now out of embarrassment or tension, out of heartbreak. " I haven't exactly been the best person in the world, especially lately. Suppose I had all of this coming, I seem to treat people pretty badly." She leaned, basically collapsing onto her side against the ground. Although she ignored the fact, she knew the tears that were starting to soak the carpet were her own.

"Maybe I should take a holiday and go someone else for awhile. Disappear." She tapped her fingers against the carpet. Maybe what she had said earlier was right. Maybe she was living in a soap opera, and she was the one causing all of the drama. She'd just chased off the man that had stated that he loved her, and she had just thrown herself back into the loneliness that not too long ago she wanted so desperately to escape.

Gabriel feet padded on the carpet as he slowly walked over, concentrating on Jill's face. She looked back, and offered her furry little friend a broken smile. She couldn't manage much at the moment.

It was strange. Like those girls, that man made her sad. But why? Was it because he had yelled? Did he frighten her? No, she didn't run, she raised her voice back. Did he have something she wanted? She didn't take anything, that couldn't have been it.

Maybe it was just people. Well, people weren't going to be allowed near her anymore. Why should she be sad? She had done nothing to them! And she looked after him. She was nice. People shouldn't make nice people cry.

Strange things ferrets are, strange things. This one in particular, acted more like a dog, a dog that acted more like a child.

Jill sat up again and gave Gabriel a quick pat. The two would go to bed soon, once she had stopped crying again. She knew it was never a good thing to go to bed crying. Your pillow gets far soggy. Until then, she'd just plan on how to keep this whole 'break-up' from the others and act like everything was fine. Hm, she had something in mind.

* * *

"When the hell did you even get the idea to do this in your head?!" Brad whined loudly. His body was aching, which didn't say very much for him.

"Probably around the time that I decided it was time to put you through some pain. Straighten up your back!" Jill stated.

One had to admit, Brad did indeed have a good question. However, one could guess that it was around the time that Jill made the comment that Barry was getting pudgy. Ouch, how she could be straight forward in times it _wasn't_ called for.

And when it came to being straight forward, Jill acted, even if it was a few weeks late from the original statement. Hell, most of everyone could take part now anyone. Everyone except for Chris, who sat at his desk just watching the group. It was hard, given the enclosed area of the room.

What were they doing? Eh, Aerobic, kinda. It had been sprung on them, even Wesker, so Jill was the only one who was wearing the appropriate attire, having brought some with her that morning. Simply, a light blue singlet (Or a tanktop, whatever one wants to call it) and some black shorts. It looked like a variation of the outfit she had worn to the bar on that unfortunate match-up night. She had also kicked off her boots, but still wore white socks.

While Jill was contently instructing, and demonstrating most things that she was ordering them to do, the others had quite a bit of struggling going on. The whole thing was like a hybrid of Yoga. While Jill could touch her toes, Brad, Barry, Enrico and Richard and Kevin couldn't. Neither could the other Kevin, who had some how been dragged into the whole ordeal, too.

While Jill had no problem stretching and reaching her arms most ways, that was where just about everyone else failed as well.

And it was just a smart thing not to ask any of them to do the splits. Not even Rebecca could.

"This… This i-isn't fair! Why… Why does… C-Chris… Get, get out… Of this?!" Brad asked, gasping for air after failing just about every position he was told to do. He wasn't in very good shape, this fact being very obvious, especially since he kept falling over, too.

"Because Chris is blind, and he could end up managing to stab someone in the eye. Don't know how, but he'd manage." Jill stated, stretching her arms out, bring one over the other towards her shoulder, "Now stop bitching." Chris smiled to himself. One good thing came out of this thing – But he knew he would have probably enjoyed the whole thing. _And_ to have the chance to watch Jill move like that… He gave himself a mental slap. He wasn't allowed to nosebleed, no matter how pleasing the images in his head may have been.

"How do you even know all of these things?!" Brad continued to whine, nearly sulking.

"Hm, just one of those things. Gotta keep in shape. Plus before I started training for this sort of career, I wanted to be an aerobic instructor. It's still my second choice if Wesker decides to fire me." Jill explained, switching arms.

"Well, that wouldn't be a problem. You're damn flexible." Forest stated, knowing exactly where he was unwisely treading, "Rawr." To his surprise, he didn't receive a rebuttal from Jill, but instead a scrunched up paper ball to the back of the head. He spun around quickly to look at Chris who was scrunching up another bit of paper, managing to make the action look threatening.

"Well, that's an interesting note. Back-up plans… Joseph could definitely be a chef, I don't know about Brad being a vampire bat… But Rebecca will always no doubt have an opening in the adult films industry." Forest stated.

"H-Hey!" Rebecca choked, completely caught off guard by that assumption.

"I'm sorry Rebecca, but he does have a point." Richard said with a nod, "People would pay a lot to hire you." Poor Rebecca, she had no idea how to respond to any of it. She just tried to continue stretching.

Wesker was clearly getting tired of it, fast. Within five minutes, he had dropped his arms and walked back to his desk. The rest followed that action, excluding Jill.

"Hey, what are you all doing?!" She said, relaxing her body but keeping an aggressive stance.

"Jill. We will work out in our own time. If we have to, _will_ use a taser on Brad and Barry while they're on treadmills, but now is not the time." Wesker stated, the last fragment of his sentence causing much distress from the two men mentioned. Wesker continued. "Since you seem to have worked everyone physically, it's time to work everyone mentally, quickly. Primarily Brad."

"Why do you hate me so much, Captain Wesker?!" Brad cried.

"Enough, Brad, first Question." Wesker began. Jill wondered back to her desk while everyone else seemed to busy themselves in hopes of avoiding Wesker's questionnaires.

"What's the Capital of France, Brad?"

Brad smiled confidently. He was sure he could nail this one, he had the answer in his head.

"Oh, Oh I know this one… It's F!"

Wesker put his hand on his forehead, in the ever-growing in popularity face palm manner. He shook his head while doing so.

"… I wish I could fail you on that one, so much, but you're technically correct…" He groaned. "Alright, I'll give you another chance… Choose a category. Maths, History, or Plant Life." He was flicking through cue cards while saying this.

Brad thought hard about his options for a moment, "I choose, The history of mathematical plants!" Wesker hit his head on the desk.

Jill felt a tap on her arm. She glanced over, Chris leaning over to go through with the action. "What's up?"

"Reckon you could help me get somewhere?" He quizzed her. She gave a nod, raising from her seat and grabbing his arm. "Just tell me where, good sir."

The contact made Chris smile. For such a stern woman, her touch was soft, loving in a way.

* * *

The room they entered was empty. It was gathering dust. It was one of the old file rooms, though it had recently been given a couch just incase someone decided their feet hurt while looking over the files. Jill let go of Chris' arm, and let him walk off on his own.

Her feelings once more were mixed. There was still that strange affection for him. Affection, bordering on love… As much as she tried her best to deny the fact that it had tipped overboard some time ago.

There was also sadness. To see him put in such effort just to navigate. It wasn't fair for a man as strong and independent as Chris to have to do that. It didn't seem right. Cruel in fact.

But along with that, such respect. That he still drove forward. She wasn't sure how he was recovering. He hadn't told her. He would always change the subject when the conversation moved to the topic.

She turned, quietly walking to the door. It might take him awhile to find that file, and she didn't want him to be unnerved by her watching him. She didn't notice the quick sound of the cabinets opening, pages flicking, and a folder being taken out in much less time than she obviously expected.

She rested one hand on door, ready to walk out, however she was stopped from doing this. Chris own hand took hold of her free wrist, causing her to quickly swirl around to look at him. It was that strong grip again, that one that made her heart race. She didn't know what was behind it, but there was something strange about it. It made her nervous, and her stomach ache. Her chest felt tight.

He tilted his head slightly, towards the couch beside them. "C'mon. Where are you going? Come sit with me." He chuckled. Before she could give a yes or no to the statement, he had dragged her over to the couch. Perhaps it hadn't been intentional, but she had wound up on his lap. While he held the file in one hand, his free arm was around her waist – She wouldn't be able to get out of the position with ease, even if she wished to move just because of the awkwardness of the position.

She looked at the folder. He was still blind, at least semi blind. The feeling in her chest eased, letting her breathe easy. That was what it was about. "Pass the file over, I'll read it for you." She said, thankful for the ease that was allowed in her tone once the realization had come about.

"No, that's alright." He said, putting the file beside him. She froze, feeling like her whole system was contracting. No?

She tried to move off of his lap, getting one leg onto the cushion next to him. Her own thought of 'this is fine' quickly left her as he roughly moved her back. Even though she couldn't work out what was going on, she knew that the roughness was unintentional. It was just a clumsy little thing. But that didn't make her feel anymore… Calm. Confused, worried. Those were too good words.

She swallowed hard, despite the fact that her throat was becoming dry. "Hey, what are you doing? C'mon, let me read you the file so we can get out of here." She stated, trying once more to move from the position, but Chris simply seemed to pull her closer. Perhaps he didn't mean to make it that close.

He was just being stupid, right?

"No, it's fine." He stated, making sure to face her. Jill's body tensed. Tensed and feeling like her body was contracting. What a lovely combo. In her mind, it was making her think too much of how things had once been. That would be why her body was reacting the way it was, as well as her mind, but she had no way of knowing this.

All she knew was that she was nervous… Maybe even scared, of Chris Redfield, her best friend within STARS. Hell, out of practically everyone. The thought of being scared of _him_ terrified her.

"Chris." She said, trying her best to swallow once again. There was practically no saliva left in her mouth, and she coughed because of the air she had taken in instead. Chris' expression seemed to change to concern – It had been an audible action. Jill shivered and went on.

"I… I need to get back to work, Chris. Wesker, he won't be pleased if we're still gone when his questionnaire's done. One's… Just fine, but, not both." She said, continuing to quietly fight his grip around her. In reply to her actions, Chris put his other arm around her, cutting off any escape route. She felt trapped, now.

"He'll be fine, just stay with me for a bit. Is that so bad?" Chris asked, laughing a bit. He smile changed to a slight frown as he felt Jill squirm. It wasn't just a few moves to try and get space. She was trying hard to get out of his grip, putting her hands on his arms in an attempt push them down and get out. It confused him, and he raised his arms higher, making it harder for her. "Are you alright, Jill?" He blinked a few times.

She gave an involuntary whimper. She bit her bottom lip, hard, nearly drawing blood. No matter how much her subconscious tried to explain to her _why_ she was acting like this and that she needed to calm down, she couldn't. "I need to get back." She stated again, her voice showing how helpless she felt. This, frankly, shocked Chris. But… He couldn't let her go. Not yet. He gave no reply, but didn't loosen his grip.

Jill was on the verge of tears. The inside of her body only seemed to grip tighter, making her feel like a cage animal inside and out. She shouldn't have felt that way and she knew it, but she was so… There weren't really words she could think of. Involuntary once more, a sob escaped her throat as she gave more desperate thrashes. Chris blinked a few more times.

"Why do you look so sad, Jill?" Chris asked. The question made no sense to her.

"Because---!" She began, but froze. "I… I, look sad, Chris?" He nodded. He loosened his grip a fraction, noticing her lapse of a struggle as soon as it had left her lips.

"You look so sad, Jill. Kinda scared, too." He stated. Jill couldn't stop her body from shaking. Chris instantly felt regret. He hadn't expected her to react all of that way. He should have stopped, what the hell had he done to her? "I… I'm sorry, Jill I… I just wanted to see, well, you… and, you woulda left and…" He tried desperately to defend his actions, himself.

Jill could feel her body slowly regain control of itself once more. That was what it was about. That idiot… That moron, that numbskull, that jerk! "Why, would you wanna go seeing me, Redfield?" She asked. Her body still shook quite violently. He looked away from her, already trying to think of a way to make it up to her.

"Cause you're probably the prettiest thing in this whole damn station." He stated, "I'm sorry Jill, I shoulda told you." She shook her head, pushing one of his arms away. She stood up, relief flooding over her. She gave him a smile after a few moments, putting her hand out to help him up.

"You bloody moron… It was a nice surprise!" She said. "I told you that you'd get your sight back. Listening to doctors is the worst thing you can do in these situations." He looked at her, giving an apologetic smile in return before grabbing her hand and standing up.

"We'd better head back." He stated with a nod. He was about to let go of her hand, but looked over curiously. She had laced her fingers with his, holding on tight. It caused him to smile slightly, his heart light. It was like in the early years of school – A low form of intimacy for people their age but for some reason it made him feel just that little bit better, in every way.

Jill looked straight to the door, forcing him to leave with her. They were going back to work this time, definitely.

* * *

"Wesker, can I ask you a favour, sir?" Chris asked. It had been about fifteen minutes since the two had arrived back, thankfully unnoticed. Jill had buried herself back into her work, seeming to zone out from the world around the.

Wesker glanced at him, before back at his work. "What is it, Chris?" He asked, tapping the eraser of his pencil on the table.

"… You can't tell anyone about it, though, alright?" Chris said awkwardly.

"Then why not just go and ask Barry or Forest for this favour then?" Wesker asked gruffly. Chris balanced most of his weight on one foot.

"Well you see, you're the least likely person to blab about it, unless you know, I piss you off." Chris explained. Wesker sighed slightly, before gesturing him to go on.

"I'm here to steal one Ms. Valentine!" a familiar voice from the door called. Everyone looked up, including the collapsed Kevin Ryman who had gone unnoticed in the corner of the room. Claire naturally stood at the door, waving to her Chris and Wesker, before gesturing for Jill to follow her out of the door.

Jill rose from her seat, abandoning her paperwork and headed outside, closing the door behind her. Girl talks, what fun. Poor Rebecca must have felt left out, but hey, she was getting more than both of them.

"You sure are coming to visit a lot." Jill commented.

"It's just more interesting here than my dorm. Can you blame me?"

"… And you're eating more sweets than usual, aren't you? Need rushes for school work?" Jill asked, eyeing the two packets she held in her hand. A red packet, and a yellow packet. Claire held them both in front of her for a moment, looking at each packet before giving a shrug.

"I didn't know if I wanted Crunchy M&Ms again, or Skittles." She stated, "So he gave me both."

"Ah, I see…" Jill said, nodding her head before pausing, "He gave you both?"

"Yep."

"… _He_ gave you both? Do go on!"

Claire recoiled slightly. Jill Valentine, not the women to say these things to. Not when she's in a prying mood. No harm, there wasn't much to pry into. "The guy I pointed out at the bar."

"That _kid_ you pointed out at the bar." Jill said with a bit of a smirk, "He's still a baby, by the looks of him."

"Yeah yeah yeah." Claire stated, and paused once again when Jill moved her hand over to her, plucking what seemed like a hair from her jacket.

"… Blonde? Brown? … _Tan?_ What HAVE you been up to, lil' Redfield?" Jill laughed, having fun teasing someone once again. Playfully, but still teasing. Claire groaned, dusting her shoulder. A lot more of the hair fell from the material – It nearly looked like she was shedding.

"You're cleaning that up." Wesker called from the desk, not even having to look out of the door. Claire repeated a louder 'Yeah yeah yeah' in reply before turning her attention back to the conversation with Jill.

"It's not like that. You're the one that told me not to be 'Meh' about Steve." Claire said, brushing her other shoulder. Another bombardment of hair.

"Steve? So, his name's Steven, is it?" Jill said, smirk refusing to leave her face.

"Yes, his name is Steve and his name doesn't have anything to do with the hair." Claire huffed. It seemed like the two kept switching places each time they met. "Steve seems to be one of those guy's who has that one saying, 'Love me, love my dog…s…ssss.'" Her voice faded off with the hiss of the 's'es.

"Dog…s…ssss?" Jill asked, raising an eyebrow. Claire took a deep breath.

"He owns five Pembroke Welsh Corgis, three Cardigan Welsh Corgis, one Bedlington Terrier and an African Grey Parrot." She stated.

"Jesus, Eight Corgis? … And what the fuck is a Bedlington Terrier?" Jill asked, raising an eyebrow. It sounded like that boy had as many dogs as Kevin had in his pack.

"It's this breed of Terrier that looks like a cross between a shorn sheep and some sort of Alien. It's all short cut around it's stomach and chest with poofy fur on it's leg and puffy fur balls on the tips of his ears and it's all, more POOF fur down the middle of it's face and eyes and all, bah! It's so ugly that it's adorable!" Claire explained, throwing her arms up in the air. She must have had far too much time to stare at the creature she was talking about. "And the parrot kept hitting on me!"

"Right… Got it… Was he walking the pack when you saw him, or did you…" Jill began, losing the teasing tone to try and calm Claire down.

"I… Went over to his place." Claire said, knowing how suss it sounded. But nothing had happened, honest! Before Jill could call her out on it, Claire quickly changed the direction of that conversation. "Alright Jill, how's your relationships going, then?"

Her silent promise to herself to keep the breakup away from people seemed to slip her mind. She was too comfortable talking to the younger Redfield sibling. Somehow it felt like there was a near sister relationship between the two, just between the two. And the promise broke on day one.

"The relationship is split right down the middle. I'm throwing his stuff out as soon as I get home." She stated, not too loudly. She quickly covered her mouth – What she had let out of her mouth actually sunk into her mind. She was usually more carefully with these things.

"No way…" Claire said softly, but gasped loudly. Jill quickly moved her hands from her mouth to Claire's.

"Say, Nothing." Jill said sternly. She seemed panicked by the thought of it getting out. "Please, just…" Claire managed to pry Jill's fingers from her face and push her hand back. She made the 'zipped mouth' motion.

"Between you and me."

"Thank you…"

"Moving on to the next problem… Amy." Claire said, trying to think of a subject where they could both sink their fangs into. Meant in a strange way, neither of the girls seemed like the types to tear a person apart, but given the chance to bare those said fangs.

"I'm sure those skunks were a real nice surprise. I think ruining her car would be great. What's say we slash the tires next?" Jill asked, her voice filling with a mix of venom and enjoyment.

"There's only two tires. What's say we smash the windows as well?" Claire quizzed, then paused, "… That's illegal though… Hmm…" Jill gave a wave of her hand, crossing one arm over her stomach.

"Please, the law is on my side here. I _am_ the law." She stated confidently. Claire snorted accidentally, she had just been trying to hold back her laughter.

"That, and you'll kick her arse!" She stated, a grin on her face. Jill nodded confidently.

"That too."

Wesker left the office before Claire and Jill finished their plotting, a good fifteen minutes later.

* * *

About half an hour passed by. Wesker still hadn't returned. While most of the group were playing Paper Scissors Rock to decide on whether to play Office Hockey or Stationary Darts until their Captain returned, Brad seemed to be sulking. Even though she did get kicks out of seeing Brad like that, she wasn't the cause of it. Jill, being the 'Only I'm allowed to upset them' type of lass, stood beside him to find out what was up.

"What's got you all down in the dumps, Brad?" She asked, putting a hand on his shoulder, "You know, other than me probably breaking you with no chance of repair after the stretches this morning."

"It's not so bad when you gang up on me, but Captain Wesker's being particularly… Horrible to me today." Brad said, head in his hands. Wesker could really do a number on someone's self esteem, especially someone like Brad.

"Well Brad, I think I may have a song and dance routine that will cheer you right up!" Jill said, taking a step back and clasping her hands together. Brad looked over at her, his posture not straightening up.

"Like what?"

"Allow me to show you." Jill said, clearing her throat before going along with a specific beat that was hard to pick – something very similar to the Mexican hat dance. "Yoooooour…"

Brad sat up properly and turned around, noticing the Jill had flicked her wrists a certain way, clearly leading up to the 'dance that was going to come along with it'.

"Boss is an arsehole, your boss is an arsehole! Your boss your boss, your boss is an arsehole!" She very clearly was enjoying performing the 'song', moving her hips a bit slower than the beat, but moving flicking her wrists more like a conductor. "Your Boss, is, an arsehoooole~!"

Despite how short it was, it was frankly something brilliant, especially for the situation. All of the team clapped and cheered quite a bit, having the very same opinions for that man, before they came to quick stop. Jill hesitated.

"… Shit. He's right behind me, isn't he?" Jill asked, fearing to turn around. There was one simple word answer, but not from any of the men in front of her.

"_**JIIILLLLLLLLLLL!!!**_"

Jill cringed, her shoulders lifting. She still refused to look around.

"… Oh, geez. Now I know how Chris feels…" Jill murmured quietly to herself, but before raising her voice enough to be heard by the threat behind herself, "You're going to kill me while I sleep, aren't you?"

There was a loud, agitated growl in reply. Jill quickly turned around, standing ready to launch herself for flight rather than fight. She quickly pointed at a very angry looking Wesker, "But you don't know where I sleep, do you?!" She shouted, a hint of victory in her voice before she darted out of the room, nearly slamming into the door.

"… She has you there, Wesker." Joseph commented, while Brad got back to his work – Feeling quite a lot better after all of that.

* * *

Forest felt a tug on the back of his vest. He looked over his shoulder, seeing Rebecca looking at him expectantly.

"… What's with you Becca?" He asked, obviously unsure with what this was about.

"I need your help." She said simply, giving another tug on his vest.

"… Dare I ask, with what?" He inquired. Rebecca smiled brightly, a genuine smile, nothing pervy.

"My bear traps finally arrived!" She beamed, grabbing onto Forest's arm this time and dragging him up from his chair, "Come on, we've got work!" The two were out of the room before Forest could voice any sort of protest towards the idea. What had he gotten into now? They might also figure out where Jill had run off to… No doubt she would have so much fun joining in with them.

There were a few moments of silence between the remaining members. They shouldn't have been surprised with the whole kidnapping ordeal. It seemed to happen quite a fair bit within their group.

"Would someone be able to tell me where Jill lives?" Wesker asked, grabbing everyone's detention. He seemed to be straining to go on with the question.

"… We can't tell you, 'cause you'll kill her as she sleeps." Joseph stated simply.

"No, that's not why need to know." He growled. He moved his hand from behind his back, the new image causing everyone to raise an eyebrow while his voice continued to keep the low growl, almost seeming pained, "I need to give her these… _Beautiful… __**Flowers**__…_" Where had he gotten that bouquet? Best not to ask…

They all raised an eyebrow at the man and shook their heads. Chris was sure that Wesker was going to slaughter him for that favour he had asked. Hey, it wasn't his fault that he was too chicken to give those to Jill himself – And a bit too guilty at the thought if Amy found out.

* * *

Finally the end of the day rolled around again. It couldn't have come any sooner. Just about everyone had piled out of the room as soon as the clock had ticked to the wonderful time, but Rebecca, Jill and Chris were taking their time to pack up. Rebecca hurried a bit, perhaps wanting to leave quickly. She was probably going to see Billy afterwards, which would explain it.

In her haste, she accidentally let the bag slip from her hands. She mumbled a slight 'whoops' and quickly ducked down to scrap everything back into her bag, leaning her body forward to try and block view of most of the things.

Jill snorted, covering her mouth as Rebecca quickly zipped up her bag. She had gotten a quick glance at the contents.

"What's so funny?" Rebecca asked innocently, looking up at her. Jill held onto the desk behind her to steady herself.

"Rebecca… Was that rope in your bag?"

"Why w---" Rebecca began, hesitantly standing up before Jill interrupted again.

"The good quality stuff, too!" Jill said, her voice gaining pitch. She seemed both amused, in shock and ready to burst out laughing.

"Why would I have rope?!" Rebecca quickly finished her question. A blush formed over her cheeks as she slung the bag over her shoulder.

"Not just rope! Red rope! The smooth stuff that doesn't hurt!" Jill went on, barely acknowledging what Rebecca has said. "The stuff that's basically like silk!"

Rebecca gave a cross between a squeak and a squeal, fidgeting and looking around that room. Damn that Valentine!

"What does the colour of rope have to do with anything?!" Rebecca asked, "If, If I had rope."

Chris had looked over, eyes wide. Was Jill really hinting at what he thought she was hinting at? There was no way lil' Rebecca…

"Rebecca! Dammit girl, first I don't pin you for the type to lose it before marriage, and now it comes to light that you're into bondage, too!" Jill said, trying her best not to burst into laughter. It was just such a shock to the system she had no other way to react.

"Th… There's nothing wrong with it!" Rebecca squealed desperately, "Jiiilll!!"

Jill wiped a tear away, gasping for air, "Okay, okay. I'm so sorry Becca… Oh, jesus…"

"Please… Don't bring it up, _please_?" Rebecca asked, shifting on the spot.

Jill made the mouth zip gesture, "Alright, alright. Promise, I won't. Unless you've got a leash and whip in there too." She joked.

Rebecca looked towards the door, silent.

"Dear **GOD** that Coen is a lucky guy!" Chris said in just as much shock as Jill. Rebecca quickly left, feeling far too embarrassed. After much time of Chris and Jill laughing, the two managed to regain themselves.

"Ah, now I feel bad… I wasn't making fun of the girl." Jill said, holding her chest. It hurt from the laughter. Chris nodded.

"She'll be over it. She's not the type to hold grudges, just tell her one of your secrets or something if she seems iffy." Chris said, taking awhile to answer – He had to gain his breath, too. "Well, the two must be a very happy couple."

Jill seemed to slump slightly. A happy couple. She still envied Rebecca and Billy… "Must be," She said quietly, "Well, I'll be seeing you." Chris could only manage a quick 'goodbye' before Jill was out the door.

She headed down the normal way, going around the back lot this time. Instead of going straight to her car, she sat down on the curb, sitting only to think. She closed her eyes and shook her head, with far too many thoughts in her head.

"You alright over there, Jill?"

She felt a jolt thought her body. She quickly opened her eyes and looked over to the exit. Chris, she should have known. She felt a shiver, reminded of how she felt earlier. She was a little more… Aware now, so was able to shake it off. She looked back to the ground.

"I need some time, Chris." Jill stated, shaking his head. She continued to look down, her hands together, resting in her lap. Chris was quiet for a few moments, before speaking up.

"Time and Space?" He asked gently.

She unclasped her hands, fiddling with her fingers, seeming to take the question in. She took as much time as Chris had. "Just time." She shifted slightly, leaving some space beside her. Chris offered a smile and sat down next to her. She gave an awkward one back in reply. She couldn't describe how that simple gesture made her feel, just the fact that he seemed to want to support her. She felt so guilty about how she had acted in the file room…

"Is there anything I can do?" Chris asked quietly. Jill gave a slight nod.

"Just sit here with me, for a little. Can you do that?" She asked, "… Repay the favour?"

"I dunno, my doctor says if I spend anymore time sitting, he's going to have to amputate my arse."

She laughed loudly at the statement. Arse was just one of those words. "That's the last thing _you_ need amputated." She said, rolling her eyes in a playful manner.

He moved a bit closer to her, his side right next to hers before slipping his arm around her waist again. She looked at him curiously for a moment, moving her hand to his that rested on her hip. She had all intention to push it away, but found she just let her hand rest over his.

A peaceful silence passed between the two, before Chris once more spoke up.

"How long do you want me to stay?" He asked.

"Just a little longer…" She said, growing used to the warmth he offered, "I can't be _that_ bad to sit with…"

"Jill…"

"Hm?"

"… Nothing, don't worry about it."

* * *

Jill shook her head. There was just no way that she would be able to sleep tonight. She knew it. She pushed the covered off of her and stumbled out of the bed. She may not have been able to sleep, but that didn't mean that her body wasn't tired.

She took a quick glance at Gabriel's cage sitting on the dresser. It was strange seeing him asleep. Quietly, she left the room, walking out to the lounge. She slumped down onto the couch, before lying down, trying to get comfy. Perhaps t was to be comfier than the bed.

It was comfy. But just like the bed, lacked the same feeling. She mumbled to herself, too awake now to fall back asleep anyway. She got up, considering what to do. After a few moments pause, she headed over to the edge of the room, and picked up the phone. She dialed a number she knew off by heart.

"Hey… Chris, feel like a movie night? I found some decent vampire movies the other day…" There was a small pause, to listen. A small smile followed. "Yeah, just don't forget the butter popcorn is better than caramel."

* * *

A/N;

Corgis are my favourite breed of dogs *_*; Hopefully that explains Steve having so many XD I bet he's a part time breeder X3

Warning though, next chapter will probably be a filler XD Cause I'm kinda… Out of ideas on some things ;_;!


	20. She Said

A/N;

The whole 'Your Arse' thing actually relates to an incident between my sister and I XD We had another one, but I can't remember what she said D': Though the original thing was 'your arse crack' XD

Oh, and the region thing… That was something a friend of mine said XD Props to Rochi! I had to use it :c

While I'm at it, I'd like to give a big shout out to my buds Toshyii and Shin, who have been helping me an incredible amount with this the whole thing. They're wonderful, yessers :'D

Reviewersz~! I still luffles you guys ;_;

Devil Rebel - *Attempts to keep it up XD* Hm, that sounds wrong.

Aqua Crescent – Yes, yes I am xD And you might be happto know I plan on uploading Claire at Steve's house some time X3 Though I've been told to upload it as a separate thing, so it won't be in Je M'en Fous :c Chris is a bit of a chicken, no xD? Brawk!

Omniaki78 – I'd be careful about that man, don't get into anything you can't get out of :o

Kira131 – Yes, he should XD *Pokes him hard* HURRY UP YOU LUG. :c Dude, ObsCure is completely awesome You can look up some vids on Youtube if you need to, but I still stand by me BUY IT statement XD I will openly admit that you should probably give Obscure 2 a try first if you want gameplay value and such, but to understand everything 1 is the way to go XD * Rambles on :c *

Flareen - *Goes on X3* Dun worry, I plan to finish this :D

Hannah554 – Yeh. As I've stated, it shouldn't be too hard XD

Captain Fox McCloud – I don't know about **BIG** X3 Ah yes, he will certainly get his revenge…

Ditto9 – Oh noes, don't OD! I can just see Amy going to her car and all of a sudden a corgi popping out in front of her XDDD Ditto's comments make meh Happy :'D

Resident Evil still does not belong to me. Probably for the better.

'She Said' lyrics belong to Brie Larson.

* * *

**She Said**

_**Get off of my back, stop sayin' that, cause I'm not afraid a heights  
I may never get where I'm goin' Yeah, but then again I might **_

The next morning came and the apartment was how it had been a few weeks ago. Bed in shambles, cushions and doona in the lounge room, Chris Redfield sound asleep on the couch once again.

Just like last time, Jill was wide awake, in the bedroom getting ready. This time she had taken into consideration what she needed to do to avoid making both of them late. She made frequent glances over to her clock, watching the time cautiously. Once she was ready, she head out of the door to the lounge room, ready to drag Chris off of the table if need be.

"C'mon, Redfield! No repeats of last time!" she called loudly, earning a loud groan in response. "Come on, you've gotten hours of sleep. Rise and shine." Chris waved his hand in a dismissing manner and sat up, holding the doona over his chest.

"Just go off, I'll come over when I'm ready." He mumbled, leaning down to grab his shoes from beside the couch. Jill rolled her eyes, heading off to the kitchen to grab something quick to eat before leaving. It wasn't a good idea for her – Whenever she went to work without eating breakfast she was fine until lunch rolled around, but whenever she ate before heading off, she'd always be starving about two hours before.

She opened the fridge door, pushing a few things on the top shelf off it aside. She was sure she had some chocolate biscuits to much on hidden in that shelf somewhere.

She found something better – A packet of potato chips. Why were they in the fridge? Because they were coated in chocolate. As much as they sounded like they would be something that a pregnant woman would have cravings for, they were surprisingly addictive – Even if you weren't one of those women.

She opened the box up and just as she popped onto into her mouth, Chris called out.

"Jill, we might have an issue."

"What is it now, Chris?" Jill asked, voice muffled slightly by the food. This was one of the multiple reasons why people told you not to eat with your mouth ful. Eh, like Chris cared at all.

"I can't find my shirt." He answered.

She raised an eyebrow. Hold on a tick? She closed the fridge and put the box on the counter, before leaning out of the kitchen to look into the lounge room. Sure enough, there Chris stood beside the couch, scratching the back of his head with his eyes look at the ground for the missing article of clothing, chest bare.

"Why did you take it off to begin with?"

"I seriously can't remember. I have a history of losing my shirts, you should know this."

"You're the idiot that took it off."

Hell, she had to be honest, she wasn't going to argue. Part of her just hoped that he wouldn't find it soon. It was pretty evident that he had been working out. She was thankful for the distance between them – It wasn't likely that he would notice her looking over his arms and torso, straying every so often to his waist.

"Yeah yeah, just help me find it Missy." He said, shaking his head and crouching down to look under the couch. She thought about that proposition for a moment. She wondered back into the kitchen and grabbed the box, walking out and leaning on the doorframe to watch. Chris paused, and sat up. He looked at her, giving a slight pout, "… You're useless."

"That's what she said." Jill replied quickly.

"Oh, ouch." Chris chuckled, shaking his head and continuing to look. "A ha!"

Jill frowned. Damn it. She watched him quickly slip it back on and thought to herself that it would have been nice if he had lost both his shirt _and _his pants. Chris dusted himself off, before strolling over to her. He looked at her, then to the box she held. Before she had a chance to hide it behind her back, he slid his hand in and pulled out one of the chips. He held it up, looking over it.

"… What the _hell_ is this?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not for you." She answered, grabbing his wrist and tugging to close to her face. She bit the chip, taking it out of his hands while he gave a sound of protest. She was done with that piece, and rather than give Chris a chance to take another one, she slipped her fingers between his to spread them out.

Curious about what she was doing, he jumped slightly when she licked the fingers he had grabbed the chip with. He wondered if she knew how she was making his stomach feel just by doing that. Before he hand anymore time to ponder on the thought, she bit his index finger.

"Oi!" He yelped, wiggling his fingers until she let go.

"Well, don't touch my chips." She stated, closing the box and walking back to the fridge to put them away. Chris looked at his fingers. Jill's saliva still lingered over them, and without thinking, he slipped two of them into his mouth. It was probably the closest thing that he would ever get to tasting her any other way, so surely he would be excused for the act. As soon as Jill appeared again, however, he quickly hid his hand behind his back and wiped off the remains on his trouser leg.

He considered taking the whole box next time…

She walked past him, back to the bedroom. She quickly gave Gabriel enough food and water to tide him over until she got him as well as a quick pat and kiss, bidding him goodbye before leaving for the front door.

"Hey," Chris began, slowly turning to look around. "Where exactly's that boyfriend of yours?" Jill froze at the door, mind running a blank. She slowly looked over at him, noticing the waiting expression he had.

"He's on another business trip." She lied.

"Again? Didn't he just get back?" He asked.

"Yes." She said quickly, looking back at the door. Chris shook his head, murmuring 'tsk tsk' under his breath.

"That ain't right. He shouldn't go doing that to you." He stated. Jill mumbled something he couldn't hear before opening the door.

"It doesn't exactly matter. Let's just go, alright?"

* * *

This was the specific reason that they didn't arrive to work early. Joseph, Forest and Kevin were looking at the stairs in front of them. The three wondered why the only stairs that seemed accessible lately happened to be the ones outside of the building.

"Ugh, I can't be bothered going up all of those stairs…" Kevin groaned, sitting down on the ground. He looked up at the daunting stairs… Ugh, just no.

"Would you rather try and climb the ladder that's in the middle of the entrance?" Forest asked, wondering why they even **had** a later placed so inconveniently.

"I'd rather we have an escalator or something…" Kevin sighed.

"Hm… Lie down." Joseph said after a pause.

"Excuse me?"

"Just lie down, trust me. I have an idea." He explained. After a few moments of unease, Kevin did as instructed.

"Alright Forest, grab his legs." Joseph stated. Just as Kevin yelped a quick 'What?!', Joseph grabbed his wrists and Forest his legs. The two lifted him up this way, and walked sideways up the stairs.

"… I really wish I could comment on this at the moment." Kevin stated, shaking his head.

"Oh shush, we'll drop you." Joseph stated. They reached the top of the stairs, and a smirk appeared on both of the carrier's faces. "Heave…"

"What?"

"Ho!"

And with the finished statement, Joseph and Forest swung Kevin back slightly, fourth, back, and threw him through the open door that had been awaiting them.

"Now **that's** how you make an entrance!" Joseph cheered.

"You're both jerks!!"

* * *

To their relief, Chris and Jill arrived on time, so there was no repeat of the suspicion like last time. They both ventured to their desks while Wesker was on the phone, and Joseph and Forest looked over a slip of paper.

It looked like it was printed on postcard material, however, on closer inspection it was clearly a recipe.

"So, reckon you can make it?" Forest quizzed. Joseph nodded, looking over at the ingredients listed on the back.

"Of course I can! It seems simple enough. I'll get the stuff for it tomorrow." He stated, the paused. He quickly shook his head. "Whoa…"

"What is it?" Forest quizzed, tilting his head to the side.

"For a second, I misread that as 'Stick-On Chicken'." Joseph explained. Both men looked at each other for a moment, before grinning.

"STICK ON CHICKEN!" they both cheered. Everyone else looked over, Wesker putting a hand over the receiver with a questioning look as the men high-fived.

"That gives me the BEST idea!" Joseph said, standing up from his seat and splitting the recipe card among his documents. "Come, Forest, we have much planning to do!"

Before Wesker had a moment to question them, the men had grabbed two pairs of scissors and left. Wesker shook his head, trying to get back to his phone call.

"I'm really scared about where this is going." Brad whined.

A few minutes passed with only the sounds of pencils scratching and Wesker talking on the phone could be heard, before Rebecca's voice pepped up.

"Hey, Jill, how come I only ever see you in those combat boots or in those high heels?" She asked, causing Jill to look up. She leaned back in her chair, and looked at he shoes. Those things must have been made in Japan – They had taken a rough beating and still lived on strong.

"That's cause my other pair of shoes look really, really stupid." She answered simply.

"They can't be that stupid." Rebecca stated.

"They're boots. They look like they're striped because I have to keep going over them with layers of masking tape and black duct tape."

"Ouch, that's… Pretty bad." Rebecca admitted, looking down at her own runners.

"Yeah, but at least the duct tape's made them water proof, especially since it rains a lot around where I have a habit of going." Jill said, then thought for a moment, "Before they were all duct taped up, I couldn't really go out much."

"Why's that?" Rebecca inquired.

"Because I had holes and it was wet in my region." She explained, a slight smirk on her face. Oh if only Joseph had been there to hear that one. The remaining people in the office laughed at the simple statement, and the sound of coins being thrown into the Sex Jar could be heard.

Rebecca tilted her head to the side, "… I don't get it."

"Eh, don't worry about it Sweetie, I'll let Billy explain it."

* * *

Jill tapped her fingers in a decent rhythm on the top of her desk, peering up every few moments to clock. Perhaps she was just taunting herself. Lunch had come around, but there was the simple problem that she was refusing to eat anything that that blasted kitchen decided to make. That would be no problem, but in her haste to get to work on time, she hadn't brought anything to eat with her. While everyone else was content with eating… She would just have to wait until work was over, a number of hours later.

She pouted at the thought of this. Women weren't meant to starve themselves, not even for this reason. But she wasn't going to be budging on her refusal to what the garbage offered.

Her eyes wondered off to the side. That chair was still empty. Her eyes shifted back to the clock once more. Chris had stepped out some time ago, before lunch had began, and half way through was still absent. She had just opened her mouth to question where he was when the door opened.

Speak of the devil. As she glanced over, she saw none other than Chris, carrying a pizza box. It wasn't even Tuesday.

"You prick." She stated simply, but loud enough to be heard. He offered her a smirk, returning to his seat. She scowled, not pleased by this at all. She cursed the fact that he had thought of that concept before her, and that she had no time to do the same. "You're going to eat all of that?"

"Yep." He answered, setting the box on his desk and opening it slowly. "Mmm, smells good, don't you think?"

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

"But you love me for it."

He shivered slightly. Yes, it was, among many other reasons. But now was not the time to admit to such a thing. "Certainly do." He chirped in a joking manner. He lifted a slice out of the box, contently taking a bite from it. Not surprisingly, he had gotten what he usually ordered on the days they got Pizza for Tuesday's meal.

Jill licked her lips, hungry. Damn it, why did she have to eat that morning? She was absolutely famished. "You're such a pig." She stated, watching him move onto his next piece.

"Oink." He said simply. She looked away, not wanting to be taunted. She crossed her arms over her desk and lent on them, listening to her stomach growl.

/Maybe if I sleep I'll save enough energy to not burn anything./ She thought to herself, putting her head down on the desk. Wesker probably wouldn't notice until she had gotten one or two hours in. She could hear the conversation going on between Rebecca and Richard.

"Rebecca, don't you even think about eating that Banana!"

"W… Why?" Rebecca squeaked, putting the item in question back on her desk.

"Just, don't!" Richard stated, "Find something else to eat! Just not that banana!"

"What about a different banana?" She asked innocently.

"No Bananas!" Jill could hear Richard quickly shuffled through the things on his desk. "Here, have an apple instead."

"But I like bananas better." Rebecca pouted.

"No bananas, Rebecca!"

Rebecca whined, taking the apple and giving Richard the banana. "I _like_ bananas…"

"Unfortunately Rebecca, a lot of people like you liking bananas." Richard sighed.

"Spoil sport." Brad could be heard whining.

Jill felt a tap on her back. She groaned, moving her shoulder slightly as a way of saying 'stop that'. She could still smell that pizza and it was killing her. She was tapped again, sharply, and she sat up. "_What_?" She asked with a growl.

"Here."

The pizza box was shoved into her hands. She glanced at it, and groaned once again, "You can't get off your arse and throw it out yourself?" She asked.

"What did I tell you about assuming?" Chris asked, shaking his head, just open it. She mumbled, and opened it up as instructed. She gasped slightly. "For you." He stated.

"You can't be serious… No way, that's too nice, even for you." She said, closing the box. He leaned over, opening it up and nudging it closer.

"Just eat," He stated, giving her a poke in the shoulder. "When are you gonna get the chance for that again?"

She gave him a genuine smile and put the box on her desk, grabbing the crusts that had been left, and taking a bite from it, savouring the taste She appeared more than overjoyed.

Now normally being given crusts would just piss people off – However, Chris had made one slight change to his order. He'd gotten the cheesy crusts this time, the one completely addictive little addition that made sharing a pizza as deadly as a war when people fought over them. But he had left each one for her in the box.

"Thank you, Chris!"

"Yeah yeah yeah…"

* * *

Ugh, the file rooms. So dusty, so messy, so… Unorganized for a file room. She had been there a good twenty minutes with still no hint to where the file Enrico requested could be hiding. It was frustrating to say the least.

She wiped the dust off herself, mumbling about how lucky it was no-one with asthma walked into that room. It was small, and cramped. She found herself missing the file room she had lead Chris to not too long ago. Even if she would prefer not to have a repeat of the incident.

The door behind her opened, and she tried to quickly look around to peer at whom had entered – However in doing so, she hit her elbow on one of the cabinets and swore loudly.

"Damn Jill, you'd give a sailor a run for their money!" Chris laughed, taking a step in and watching her nurse her wound. She gave a huff of 'mffp' and looked over at him.

"What are you doing in here?" She quizzed.

"Enrico said you were taking too long, so he asked me to go down and find the file instead." He explained, though slowed his sentence as he noticed how cramped the file room was. It was hard to move, even if was just him in the room. But with Jill there too…

He peered up, then looked at her. She had her back close to one of the cabinets. "You need to grow a bit more, shorty. You couldn't see it up there?" He asked, catching her by surprise. She looked up, noticing a few pieces of paper peeking out from above the large cabinet.

"Dammit…" she muttered. She wouldn't be able to reach that.

"Move over." Chris said. She gave a shrug.

"I can't." She stated simply. Chris frowned, thinking about how to do this. He looked at the cabinet, then the files, then Jill. Hm, there was a simple way of doing this. He moved close to her, which really only took about two steps to do. He put one hand on the cabinet, right beside Jill's shoulder, and reached up to grab the file. It was higher than expected. Jill made no comment, trying not to thinking about how close their bodies were like that.

Unable to reach easily, he moved his position slightly – However in doing so, he moved one of his legs in between Jill's, bringing his knee up slightly to gain more height.

A little too much friction, a little too much pressure. A little too much fault in the positioning Chris didn't seem to catch. Either one of those, or a mixture of all of those caused Jill involuntarily close her eyes and moan loudly, moving her hips slightly to push back against his leg. Ah, desires.

Chris had probably never moved so fast in his life – Or so clumsily. He had taken a quick step back, caught in a mixture of shock and surprise. But, due to the small movement space, ended up stumbling over a box on the floor and landing on his arse. Pfft, graceful.

Jill quickly used this reaction to her advantage – She had to hide that 'behaviour' of hers, after all. She put her hands on her hips and smirked, tilting her head slightly. "Ha, you're just like a teenager. Tsk tsk." She teased, shaking her head.

"Well what the hell was that?!" Chris asked, quickly rolling onto his stomach. Now was not the time for, uh… _That_…

She chuckled, stepping over him to reach the door, turning the knob. She glanced over at him, poking her tongue out at him before leaving. Chris groaned – The woman was messing with him something terrible.

Jill closed the door and leant against it. She bit her bottom lip. Although she had come up with a decent tease as an excuse, the whole thing still remained embarrassing. Slowly she ran a finger over the zipper of her pants and shivered. She may not have been wearing those shoes she told Rebecca about, but…

* * *

Once more everything had quieted down. A fair bit of time had passed, still with Joseph and Forest absent. It was very, _very_ worrisome. As the day was reaching an end, everyone finished what they were doing and began to pack up.

Brad was busy saving bookmarks on his browser and trying to debug a little problem that had come out about half an hour ago. So caught up in what he was doing, he was the only one who didn't notice the two late comers waltz back in, hands behind their backs.

He slapped the buttons on his laptop as his system froze, before violently clicking Ctrl+Alt+Del several times in frustration.

"Hey, Brad!"

"Wh---" Brad only began as he looked towards Forest and Joseph – He was promptly cut off by unintentionally being pushed off of his chair with two strong whacks, one to the forehead and one to the chest. Brad gave a slight shriek, lying on the floor. He had foam cut-outs of chickens on each spot of impact – Quite cute looking ones that look like they had taken a fair bit of time to make.

Forest and Joseph turned to each other before high-fiving again with both hands, "STICK ON CHICKEN!"

"… I fear for the public if we're meant to be elite." Barry said, shaking his head. Was that what they had been doing? Oi…

As Chris packed up, a case was shoved into his face.

"The hell is this?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow. He took it from the hand that held it, and looked at the cover, "Obscure: The Aftermath?"

"Hell yeah! Joseph cheered, taking a step back. Chris shook his head.

"I'm guessing you're inviting yourself over to have someone to play this with?" Chris asked. Joseph just gave a nod.

"I think you might need to lay off the chicken expeditions." Chris said, shaking his head. "Fine, fine, I've got no choice."

* * *

Joseph busied himself connecting the console to Chris' TV. His set up was different to the one he was used to, so it was taking him some time. While he did that, Chris had been left some time to think about things.

He couldn't shake the fact that Jill was acting a bit strange lately, even if it was only a bit different from her regular behaviour. Even so… She seemed a little more down than usual. He remembered a place that he had been told about a little while ago… He stood up, and walked over to the phone, grabbing it off the hook and dialing a number, before putting it to his ear.

"Hey, you're not gonna be too long, are you? I think I've nearly got this!" Joseph chirped, plugging and unplugging cords.

"Shouldn't be." Chris answered simply.

"When it's going, just make sure not to shoot me, alright?" Joseph asked, "You can still take damage from friendly fire, it's fucking annoying."

"Got it." Chris nodded. The phone still rung. /Maybe she's out./

"Whenever Forest tries to help he always shoots my arse! Always my arse!" Joseph said, switching the TV on, and not seeming too happy with the fact.

"And frankly, no matter what the issue is, I don't really feel like discussing anything that's involved with your arse."

"What about my arse?"

Chris jumped slightly. Damn it! Did she pick up just then? He always dreaded that happening over the phone, talking to someone and having the other person pick up, that sort of thing. "How much did you hear?"

"Not much. But _what_ about my arse?" She answered, but quickly got back to her original question once more.

"It's got nothing to do with your arse." He answered sternly. What had he started…?

"But I heard you say 'Your Arse'."

"That wasn't about yours."

"So my arse isn't worth talking about?"

"I never said that."

"Well you were talking about someone else's arse and not mine."

"That has nothing to do with it."

"You're hurting my feelings with that, Chrissy."

"Chrissy? You're making me sound like a woman. Anyway, it's not like you talk about my arse."

"I do too!"

"… Really?"

"Yep."

"What do you say about my arse?"

"Does that matter?"

"Yes."

"I say you have a nice arse."

"Why thank you. Your arse isn't too bad either."

"'Isn't too bad?'"

"Alright, you have a fucking great arse."

"Thank you, Chris. But be careful, you don't want to cheat on Amy's arse."

"This is where I'd say a man can't get enough arse, but I'm sure you'll punch me for it later." He stated.

There was a few seconds pause from both sides of the conversation, before both involved smirked, then smiled, and soon laughed every giggle and chuckle they had suppressed during the conversation. Once they had calmed down, it was an odd sight. Chris, where he was, had an arm against the wall to support himself, unable to stand without it. Jill happened to be on her knees now, leaning against the wall.

"Why are we talking about arses?" Chris finally asked after a minute passed of the two simply catching their breath.

"I can't remember." Jill replied with a shrug. She managed to rise to her feet, and staggered over to the couch, collapsing there.

"We should probably stop." Chris said, the smile still on his face. That had been an interesting conversation, a type they had unfortunately not shared in some time.

"Yeah. What did you originally call up for, Chris?" Jill asked eventually. He couldn't have simply called up to start a conversation about her arse, after all.

"… I can't remember." He answered, having paused for a few moments to think hard about it.

"So we just had a meaningless discussion about arses?"

"Mainly your arse."

"Wonderful. Is that Joseph laughing in the background?"

"Yep. But he's just laughing because he's Jealous that his arse isn't worth talking about."

"Hey!" Joseph interrupted, and then looked away. It was probably better his own arse not get mentioned in the conversation again. Chris straightened up, suddenly remembering what he had originally rung for.

"Alright, important question's back."

"Shoot."

"Well it's not really a question. Tomorrow, taking you out." He explained. The silence that followed seemed to show that Jill felt… Uneasy.

"And where, dare I ask, Mr. Romeo?" Jill inquired, after managing to steady her voice.

"Romeo? You know that whole play was more making fun of young love than anything else, right?"

"This doesn't have anything to do with love," Jill said, causing a sharp pain in Chris' heart, "So just say where."

"Well well Missy, impatient? It's just one of those discothèque places, m'dear." He stated. Jill hummed softly, finding it a bit strange. Frankly, she wanted to find it strange. Because, if it was strange, then it was suspicious. And if it was suspicious, well, that made her feel a little giddy. But they had gone out to random places for years, always as friends, this was… Nothing new.

"You might want to be careful," she smirked, "I mean, after all, if you acted like a teenage boy earlier today."

"You're such a bitch."

"But you---" She began, but was promptly cut off.

"Love you for it, yeah yeah." Chris said, doing his best to ignore the red colouration that coloured his cheeks.

"I've really gotta think of some other things, you're starting to read me like a book!" She laughed, shaking her head, "Dear oh dear, what will I do?"

"Nah, don't act so distraught. I've known how to read you for _ages_." He assured her. Jill bit her bottom lip. If he did, then why had he never brought up the feelings she seemed to be painfully developing for him. Ah, men, they think they know everything.

"Pfft, you keep dreaming that." She said, once more trying to keep her voice steady. "Well, fine, you'll have to track me down after work tomorrow. Late night rave, sounds fun. I'll see you then."

"Alright, love you. C'ya."

Jill froze. He just, said that to her? "S… See you, Chris." She quickly bid goodbye, slamming the phone down as if it had just bitten her. She held her hand with the other, keeping both close to her chest and staring at the phone, caught between blushing and the urge to break down into tears. Damn men…

"Uh, Chris. You _do_ just realise that you said 'love you'." Joseph said, quirking an eyebrow.

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"Hm, accident then, force of habit."

Joseph looked at him suspiciously. "If you say so… Just hurry up so we can finish this, dammit."

"Yeah yeah, hold your horses." Chris mumbled, shaking his head. He took a few steps back towards the console, before the phone rang. Whoever the caller was, they had some pretty rotten timing. Giving it a glare, he sighed and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey honey!"

/Shit, Amy. Why now?/ "Hey… What can I do for you, Sweety?" He said, hiding his displease from his voice.

"I just thought I'd tell you, I planned for us to go out tomorrow." She said, smiling where she was.

"You probably should have told me… I already have plans." He explained, putting a hand on the wall to lean on.

"Well just cancel it." She said with a shrug.

"But I can't."

"What are you doing, then? I'll come along." She stated, trying to solve the issue.

"I'd prefer you didn't. I'm going out with a friend."

"Oh. To the pub or footy or something?"

"Not quite."

"… Is this friend a girl?" She asked slowly, making sure to put a stern tone along with the word 'girl'.

"There is a very high possibility of that, unless there's some deep dark secret she's been keeping from me." He stated sternly, though naturally seemed to have fun with the last little bit, "I'm sorry Amy, but I can't get out of it." Amy huffed at this, stopping her foot lightly on the ground.

"Well can you at least _try_?" She asked, "I'm the most important woman to you, aren't I?" Chris hesitated, about to stated that that title belong to Claire, though naturally wouldn't admit to Jill possibly holding that position as well… However, he was once more cut off.

"After all, _I'm_ the one that's going to be Amy Redfield in the end!" She said, basically purring the fact. Chris cringed.

"… Amy…"

* * *

A/N; I'm sure there are a lot of people that don't get the sentiment behind the whole Cheesy Crust thing. Okay, let's get this straight. I was watching TV for a pizza place that has them, and in the ad well, it was sorta what Chris did for Jill XD For those of you that don't know, those crusts are ADDICTIVE, and I have to fist fight my own MOTHER just to get a bite of one (The sad thing is, I'm not joking. That's what we do o_o; ). And after asking around, it's like that in MANY house holds XD So for someone to give another one of their crusts, let alone all of them, there has to be some insane amount of love!

X3 Now you may go with images of me getting into fist fights with my mum.


	21. Dream of an Absolution

A/N;

I hoping to end this either next chapter or the one after. It depends on how much of the middle content I get for the next chapter, there might be enough to put off the ending for a little while.

Reply to meh Reviews :3 (We gotta find a better way to send each other love letters XD J/K)

7 Rhapsodos – Arse = Ass. Did I say ass somewhere XD? I (almost) always spell ass arse, because that's how we spell it here :c American Spelling : Ass, Australian Spelling : Arse. Sorry for any confusion X3 I don't know how one would amputate an arse, but I'm sure it's possible xD (Oh, and the ad was for Pizza Hut, I believe... But I can't find the ad D: )

Hannah554 – Time for Chris to prove he's a smart boy ;3

Ditto9 – Glad to be at your service~ We might need to find an antidote for the Oding at this rate XD

Captain Fox McCloud – I reckon she's gone to a school to learn how to do just that. I wonder who got stick-on chicken'd X3?

Raidenlover6 – Annoying girl is annoying, ammirite? *Updates :3*

Omniaki78 – Ah, the things I should have written but didn't think of :c Wow, Claire must be having a ball xD! Huzzar immature humour!

Tiger Snaps – I should add a lulz chapter after this is done, put there specifically to push Amy and Justin off of a cliff X3

Kira131 – Cheesy Crusts are full of Bliss :'D Man I hope that certainly isn't your way of talking XD My eyes/ears/organs might bleed! Good choice, smart girl is smart X3 Have fun beating up your partner.

Aqua Crescent – Well, Rebecca has it coming, how dare she be that cute ( Sounds like they explained it brilliantly XD

I does not own RE :c You know this!

'Dream of an Absolution' lyrics belong to Lee Brotherton. Yes it's from a sonic game, but the remix of it makes me melt ;_;

* * *

**Dream of an Absolution**

_**Cause every night I will make it right, and every night I will come to you.  
But every night it just stays the same, in my dream of an absolution.**_

"I'm sorry Amy." Chris exhaled, "But, it just isn't going to happen."

"W… What?" Amy whimpered. Maybe she had heard wrong. Chris sighed, feeling quite bad about this but… If he didn't do it now, he would most likely back out.

"I really hate to do this over the phone… It's not my style but, I'm afraid Amy we're just never gonna… You're never going to have Redfield as a last name, I'm sorry." He apologized.

"What? N, No, you don't need to apologize because it _is _going to happen!" She stated, sound a little panicked.

"… Amy, would you rather meet up to talk about this?" Chris asked, feeling a prang of guilt run through him. Maybe he should… No, no, he was too far now.

"No! I can't believe you're doing this to me!" She spat, causing Chris to pull the receiver away from his ear for a moment. "I haven't done anything for you to do this to me! What, have you been playing around or something?! Aren't I go enough for you?!"

"No, no it's not like that…" Chris said, shaking his head and trying to keep a calm tone for this.

"Then if none of that is the problem, there is no problem!!" She yelled, "Isn't that right?!"

"Amy, how you're acting right now seems like a problem to me." He stated, clenching his fist. Nothing could be solved in a civilized way.

"It's because of you that I'm acting like this! This is perfectly fine!!" She shouted. "Why the hell are you doing this to me, huh?! What haven't I fucking done for you?!"

Chris had had enough. All this was doing was putting it off. He would rather end it now than in four to five hours.

"I'm sorry Amy, it's over." He said, hanging up before she could begin yelling again.

"Chris, are you gonna come beat some experiment bastards with me or not?!" Joseph called.

"Yeah, I'll be right there, just hold up." Chris said, taking a glance at the phone, before shaking his head. "Sorry Amy, but… Mrs. Redfield is going to be Jill Redfield…" He said to himself quietly. Hey, he could dream.

He went off and grabbed the Playstation controller, ignoring the phone ringing which would continue for a number of hours.

* * *

The next day came all too quickly, and with a strange beginning to say the least.

"No!! Bad cat, **bad cat!!**" Kevin Ryman yelled loudly from the back of the building, the loud statement echoing through the bottom floors.

"The heck has he done this time…?" The female police officer previously mentioned on a few occasions mumbled, putting her magazine down and standing up. She dusted off her uniform, and headed to the door. She seemed to have become immune to any of the strange happenings that followed that man.

As she opened the door, an uproar of barking flooded the room. She looked out over to where it should have been clearest, but instead of nothing being there, Kevin's pack of dogs, as well of him, were all crowded around.

"What the hell is that thing?" She asked, looking over to the left of them. Adjacent to them, appeared to be a large tabby cat, contently sitting there. All would have been good, if it weren't for the slurping sounds that accompanied the tentacles that flailed around from out of it's mouth.

"Don't just do something, stand there!" Kevin shouted. The police woman raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Oh you know what I mean! HELP!" Kevin stated, flailing his arms.

"How the tell am I meant to help?!" She asked, not wanting to get her own hands – and clothes – covered in mutant cat slime and saliva. "It hasn't even done anything!"

Just as she said that, a loud yelp rang out, causing even more barking from the panicking dogs.

"Go get Captain Wesker or something!" Kevin stated, grabbing onto the poor Schipperke, Johnny, whom seemed to be in the mist of being half devoured. Kevin was holding onto it under its front legs. "Hurry up!"

"Why didn't you chase it off with a broom or something before this?!" She asked, before shaking her head and giving a quick salute. She went back through the door, closing it behind her and running off to go track down Wesker. She did feel sorry for those dogs, after all… That cat was freaky as fuck.

It took her a few more minutes than one would think – She hadn't been up there often and the structure of the building was still quite confusing to her. It might have been far better if she had ended up being later, or if she had arrived a few minutes earlier. She didn't appreciate the conversation she walked in on.

"Maybe we should just ask what her name is." Forest said, seeming to be in a deep conversation with Joseph as she entered the office. Joseph shook his head.

"No, no, it's much more fun trying to guess…" He stated. "Well, she's a girl so…"

"So…"

"Virginia?" Joseph guessed. The police woman quickly looked over at them, seeming to know all too well where that assumption had come from.

"I can tell what you're thinking! Stop trying to name me after reproductive organs!!" She demanded, feeling quite… Insulted. Honestly, I don't think many could blame her.

"Nah, she doesn't strike me as Virginia… What about a Franny?" Forest asked, ignoring the police woman and taking a wild stab at it.

"Hmm…" Joseph hummed, before shaking his head, "Nah… Are there any girl names that sound like boobs?"

"Not that I know of…" Forest answered.

"For Christ sakes, my name's Rachel!!" The police woman shouted, seeming to grab everyone's attention except for the two men.

"What about with legs?" Joseph asked.

"Not that comes to mind…" Forest shrugged.

"Friggin' men…" 'Rachel' mumbled, admitting defeat. She didn't understand how that Jill chick had the patience and the pride to argue with the two men. She gave another salute once she noticed that Captain Wesker had been watching the scene as well, before bowing her head slightly in respect.

"Excuse me, Captain Wesker, Kevin Ryman asked me to fetch you." She explained, not entirely sure how to go about it.

"For what?" Wesker asked, "I am not moving from my seat unless it is a good reason---"

"Or for porn." Chris chimed in, before quickly turning back to his work to avoid Wesker's glare of ultra doom.

"Well there's a cat that you apparently know." She began to explain, Wesker paying attention now, "You know, not much special about him. Large ginger tabby, a boy… Tentacles coming out of it's mouth. Trying to eat one of his dogs."

"… How is this my problem?" Wesker asked casually.

"It could prove to be a choking hazard to him?" She more of asked in return rather than answered.

Wesker quickly stood up from his seat, grabbing a leash from one of the drawers. "Charlie might choke? I will not _allow_ that to happen! Well, lead the way Ms. Virginia!"

"Rachel!!" She stressed.

"I don't really _care_ about your name." Wesker stated, walking quickly past her and leaving the office. She hurried after, not impressed, but deciding better to keep her own mouth shut.

AS things died down, Brad once again huddled against the wall, thankful to have an actual desk like the others. He had done his best to make sure that no-one could see what was on his screen. Every so often there were a few clicks from his mouse, and no typing. It could be assumed that he wasn't doing any work.

"Choose the third option." Jill instructed. Brad squeaked, grabbing the top of his laptop and slamming it down quickly.

"G, Go away Jill!" He managed to yell quietly… Yes, you can do this act. He looked behind himself, spotting Jill with her hands on the top of his chair, having been watching what he had been watching.

"What the hell are you doing? Put it back up, I want to see what happens!!" Jill pouted, leaning over his shoulder to grab at his laptop. Brad whined loudly, as a way of saying 'Stop it!!' and opened his laptop once again, the game not moving from its frame. Brad sulked, doing his best not to look over his shoulder while Jill watched the screen. A few clicks, reading over dialogue, skipping over it.

"… How did you know to choose that?" Brad gasped, watching the scene that played out on the laptop.

"You forget the fact that I happen to have the same girly parts as that chick. And contrary to popular belief, I know what my kinds usually want. That, and that's a hentai game you're playing. That's usually a safe option." Jill stated, before looking over her own shoulder for a moment. "Oh, hey there Chris."

"Yo." Chris said, not taking his eyes off of the screen. "Chickenheart, you've _got_ to give me a copy of this."

Brad simply whimpered once again.

* * *

Chris paced up and down a street that was in between Jill's apartment and their workplace. He had been doing it for about half an hour, before grabbing his mobile. Work had finished about an hour ago, and he had been spending a good half hour of that pacing up and down that one street. It really was nothing, but he was somewhat panicky the Jill might have, well, ditched him. As much as she wasn't the type to do something like that…

He quickly dialed her number, putting the phone to his ear and waiting for her to pick up. One rings, two rings, three rings… A ring, maybe if he had brought her one of those…

"Hello?"

"Hey." Chris greeted simply. Jill softly smiled on the other line. "You're still coming, right?" He asked. She nodded, forgetting the fact that he wouldn't be able to witness that action.

"Of course. I'm just getting changed, is all." She explained. "You can't expect me to go out in my work clothes, can you?"

Chris looked down at his own clothes. Maybe he should do that as well. He quickly walked up the street he had been pacing, the direction of his own home. "Of course not…" He said, walking as quickly as possible.

"Hey. You know that a discothèque is basically just a nightclub, right?" She quizzed. Chris could hear what sounded like fabric moving in the background.

"Yeah, but I thought you might have just have been more likely to go with me if I made it sound more snazzy and a---." He answered.

"Damn it Gabriel, that's my bra!!" Jill cut in, though very clearly not addressing him.

"Your bra…?" Chris asked, "You're not wearing a bra?"

Jill instinctively covered her chest with her arm, despite the obvious fact that Chris had no way of seeing. "Yes, that'd be right. You're not getting all hot and bothered by that fact, are you?" She asked, shooting a glare at Gabriel.

"Me? Hot and bothered?" He asked, hoping she'd just murmur a 'tsst' followed by a sitcom type 'Oh, you' statement.

"… You're thinking about me naked, right now, aren't you?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"… Well, _now_ I am. Because you put that image in my head." He stated. Well, he _was_ now… Not that he hadn't been since the statement 'that's my bra' had been brought up.

"But you've never _seen_ me naked, Chris. So it's all purely your imagination." She said, then paused, "... How am I posed?"

"You remember the chick in Brad's game after he chose the third option? That pose." Chris answered, giving him a mental slap as he did. One should not be so truthful with these things.

"Oh really now? Aren't _you_ a foxy one?" She shook her head, moving her arm away from her chest, not seeming so flustered anymore. "Right, so can you let me get back to getting dressed so you can as well, if you're done fantasizing?"

"I'm… I'm not fantasizing, Jill." He said quickly.

"Unless I'm there on your bed, naked, pulling that pose, it's fantasizing, Chris." She explained. "See ya."

"Right, See ya." Chris said before hanging up. Jill put the phone back on the receiver and quietly sulked that Chris hadn't let slip 'love you' again. She grabbed a small tube of lip-gloss from the desktop next to her, and put on just a little. Maybe that man would have a chance to taste it.

No, she knew she was being stupid but… Wishful thinking never hurt anyone. Not physically, and emotionally she couldn't be torn anymore that what she already was. He paused for a moment, placing a finger gently on her lips, not smudging it. "I love you, Chris Redfield." She stated ever so quietly, before shaking her head softly.

She turned her attention back once more to her perverted ferret.

"Gabriel! Bra!!"

* * *

"You look b… p… Um…" Chris scratched the back of his head.

"What's with you? Don't have kittens just because you're not used to me being in anything but pants." Jill laughed lightly, placing her hands on her hips.

"You look nice." Chris spat out, but did his best to space the words so it didn't seem so stressed. He wished she would wear things like that more. Jill had simply thrown on a short Halter dress, which really only fell about the same length down as her skirt all that time ago had. Royal blue. He was taking notice that it seemed to be the colour she wore most. It certainly suited her beautifully.

"Thanks." She smiled slightly, "You're pretty handsome yourself." That statement was a given. But considering Chris was simply decked out in cargo pants and a white singlet. Effort put in? Zero, but hey, it wasn't usually his thing. Jill was mighty thankful for his casual take on this – It was slightly tight, so his figure was quite visible. Not to mention the fact that his arms weren't covered.

Anyway! They weren't there to check each other out… As much as both parties would have happily done so.

"Well, we'd better hurry up." Chris said, grabbing hold of Jill's and leading her inside. She gave no protest just content with his tough. It was always different without his gloves on.

It wasn't long before the sun went down, and multiple tracks had past through the sound systems. One needn't even begin on the lights. No-one would have guessed that it was pitch black outside.

As Jill had pointed out earlier, it was technically a night club. And when you go to night clubs, more often than not you get hit on at least once…

One would imagine that it wouldn't be too long before either of the two were pestered because of this fact, and much to her annoyance, it happened to be Jill. A tap on the shoulder, and she turned around.

Chris hadn't wondered off at all, but since the two hadn't been facing each other, it must have been assumed that the two weren't there together. Chris' head jerked when he heard Jill's voice utter 'Sorry, I'm not interested tonight', followed simply by a few statements in an attempt to persuade her.

"You're not hitting on my girl while I'm standing right here, are you?" Chris asked, placing a hand on the shoulder of the man whom had appeared. "You've got **balls**, I'll give you that." The man quickly turned to look at Chris. Ugh, maybe if he had looked more… Scrawny – Chris appeared to be pretty decently built. He couldn't be bothered going through this tonight.

"Nah, Nah, wouldn't dream of it," The man stated, quickly turned on his heels, "I'll quit bothering you two!"

Chris turned to Jill as the man disappeared off into the crowd. She moved a few strands of hair from the front of her face to behind her ear, looking away and to the ground.

"… Thanks. I'm not really in the mood to put up with morons tonight." She said, giving a slow nod.

"You're welcome. You'd do the same for me, right?" He asked. She looked at him curiously.

"You know you'd want the attention – Why would I dare step in?" She inquired.

"Funny Valentine, funny." He said, shaking his head. He met her gaze once she looked back up. He didn't want to break that connection between them. /I'm getting protective over a woman I can't have… Hey, when she tells me to stop, I will... There's nothing wrong with it… Right…?/

The two shared a few drinks as the night carried on. Chris made a note to keep a very, very close eye on Jill. He was all too wary of her becoming drunk like last time again. He wasn't exactly fond of her beating into him.

They had just finished their drinks and stood back up when Chris came to a stop. He rubbed his eye, looking away and muttering to himself. As much as he tried to ignore it, it was annoying and his vision was blurring a bit. Alright, more than a bit but... Just as long as Jill didn't…

"Chris, is there something wrong with your eyes?"

… See.

Chris shook his head, moving his hand away from his eye and blinking a few times. He tried his best to ignore the strange feeling that persisted. "Nah, my eye's just itchy." He lied. She just looked at him silently. Her worried expression made him feel… Insecure, in a way, and all he could do was look back at her. He finally broke the eye contact, looking away.

"You're lying to me!" She snapped, grabbing the wrist of the hand he had raised to rub his eye again.

"Jill, I'm…" He began, not looking back at her. His eye had gone from blured to pained. But he didn't want her to know that. He was meant to be taking her out for a treat tonight, even if that wasn't what he had said it was for.

"Stop it! Stop lying to me!" She shouted. The music picked up around them, so it was barely noticed by the other people whom occupied that area. Even without being able to pick up much of the sound, Jill's motions and expression showed what she meant more than well – And tugged at his heart. She tugged his wrist in return, dragging him off to a clearer, quieter area.

"Damn it Jill, why are you so worried?" Chris asked in a huff, trying to jerk his hand from her grip. To his surprise, she held on tight. While his mind was registering this, she grabbed his other wrist, too.

"But I am right, aren't I?!" She asked. He flinched – It was almost as if there was panic in her voice, overriding her worry. Jill Valentine never panics, and she never gives… Anyone that look. The look of, fear? He hadn't moved – He just concentrated on her, unintentionally studying her. Her breathing was quiet, but he could see her movements for it. She was trembling, just that little bit, breathing hard and ragged, blinking more than she certainly should have.

"J… Jill, calm down… Look what you're doing to yourself." Chris said as calmly as possible. He didn't jerk his wrists away – Looking at her now, he was afraid of the damage he could have done if he did. "Please…"

She looked away from him, letting go of his wrists. She let her arms fall to her side, as she shifted on the spot slightly. The speed of her breathing didn't stop though. Chris has having a hard time reading her body language, not just her movements.

"You're going to go get that checked out as soon as we leave." She instructed sternly, but her voice surprisingly quiet. Chris had just managed to hear that.

"No, I'm not, Jill. There's nothing to be checked out." He stated. Jill clenched her fists, not looking back to him. She seemed to tremble more as she bit her bottom lip.

"Why can't you just tell me the truth, Chris? Can't you be bothered with me?!" She asked.

Before Chris had a chance to react to her statement, she slammed her fist into his chest. She took a step closer while he recoiled in shock, and just beat the same fist against him, with each hit the impact seeming to become weaker as she clenched her eyes shut, grabbing onto his shirt with her other hand. "Damn it Chris, Damn it, damn it, **damn it!!**"

"What the hell are you---" Chris began, but once more there was a swift change in responses. As he voiced his sentence, Jill put her arms under his, holding onto him, hugging him tightly. Her nails dug into his back, even through his shirt. To Chris' shock, and to Jill's dismay, she cried into his shoulder, seeming to break down like she had not too long ago.

His mind raced. Why was she acting like this? Why was she still breathing so hard? Why was her heart beating so fast, so hard? He could feel the rhythm of the beats against his own chest, due to the strength of it, and how close the two were.

He cautiously, carefully, put his arms around her. What else could he do? He couldn't just push her away – That would have hurt anyone in that situation, even someone like Jill. And he just couldn't leave her like that…

Feeling Jill's legs buckle, he slowly knelt down, holding Jill up the best to his ability as he could. He wanted to say 'snap out of it' or 'get a hold of yourself'. But still was no time for such a thing.

"Oh God… I'm such a mess…" She choked, her voice sounding worse due to the muffle effect offered by Chris' chest.

"Hate to say it, but you are." Chris said, knowing that arguing with her would only set her off into another spiral of rage. He stroked her hair gently, and he could feel her grip on him tighten. "… But I've gotcha, Jill, so don't worry…"

"It's not that easy… God, I **wish** it was that easy… I've fucked everything up Chris, _everything_."

Jill sobbed quietly, but other than that there was silence between the two. Soon enough the sobs subsided, and the two just sat there, holding onto each other. A few passing people commented on the scene quietly amongst themselves about how sweet the fragile moment between the two appeared, a few commented on how cute the couple were.

And a few people commented on how much the two must have been in love.

* * *

A/N;

So policewoman has a name XD Ironically, it's the name of one of my favourite teachers x_x; Who's on holiday at the moment D: COME BACK RACHEL, PLEASE! ;_; Oh, the Virginia as a name thing is props to my friend Laura when I said she had no name XD

I might go back and elaborate on the guy at the place. Too simple, but I'm pretty brain dead when it comes to that situation =/

… I bet Brad's playing something like 'Do You Like Horny Bunnies?' XD I want to play that game for some reason :c


	22. Juliet

A/N;

I'm sorry for the wait on this, guys :c This was meant to be the final chapter – BUT, since I finished this much of it, and the rest (which was mainly notes!) helped bring it to 11k, I thought 'That's 4k… they've been waiting for it for ages, and Ditto might be home soon :c I should upload it'. Meh pal talked me out of it, but since for some reason I've been so busy, I've decided to upload it xD; I'm really sorry for the wait – But hopefully the actual last chapter won't be too much longer. I have all of the notes, it's just linking a majority of it all up _;

However, I believe this chapter PROVES that you're not meant to take my writing seriously. Or me seriously, for that matter X3

Flareen – Quite a wait, no XD? Sorry X3

Hannah554 – Alas, both are not proving it to be an easy task :c Thank you :3

Tiger Snaps – If I put in another 5 chapters (now 4 XD), it would just get repetitive and everyone would lose interest. But I'll try and make the last chapter go out with a bang~

Ditto9 – Who knew Jill had one xD? Meh, Amy, we must wait and see :c

omniaki78 – Immaturity FTW :3

Devil Rebel - *Tries to*

Captain Fox McCloud – Ah Brad, you naughty boy :c Only time can tell… That and the shotgun barrel pressing against my back XD

Aqua Crescent – Read on, you'll be answered, don't worry X3 Ah Charlie, such a fanbase you seem to be getting XD He's a nice reoccurrence, no xD? Glad you're enjoying it X3

Kira131 – It's alright, though sounds like yo might need to lay off the tradegy movies XD Damn, such a shame D:! It's a pretty unknown game, so I'm not really surprised… ;_; I know they're talking about making ObsCure 3, so keep an eye out for it? I'm gonna buy it as soon as it's out to see if it's as good as the last one X3

7 Rhapsodos – Only time will answer :c By way of miracle, and not wanting to keep people waiting so long, you've managed to score another chapter XD

Resident Evil naturally doesn't belong to me.

'Juliet' lyrics belong to Emilie Autumn. That woman is amazing.

* * *

**Juliet**

_**The consequence is hanging there, the sky will fall but I don't care.  
Meet me beneath my balcony and say, No one but you could ever fill my night.**_

"I'm… I'm sorry, for how I acted." Jill said quietly, standing at the door of her apartment. The short answer to how she was feeling was embarrassed. The long answer was that she was ashamed of herself for showing that softer side of herself, especially to Chris. No-one was meant to see that and the thought if its presence actually being known made her feel, as stated, embarrassed. If anything it made her feel weak, like nothing more than a sook. And to do so in front of Chris… It was the ultimate insult she could deal to herself at that moment.

"You don't have to apologize." He assured her. He raised his arm, brushing his fingers against her shoulder lightly. She shied away from his touch, looking away in guilt.

"Don't say that to me." She huffed. "Don't apologize? I _have_ to apologize, Chris. You're seeing how I'm acting, it's god damn disgraceful!"

"It's god damn human is what it is!" Chris snapped back suddenly, causing Jill to flinch, looking at him surprised. She hadn't expected him to bite back. "Christ's sake Jill, swallow your pride. You can't always be so dominating, I mean, there's barely any reason for it. No-one's insane enough to challenge you!"

His reaction was called for. He himself was getting stressed seeing her like this lately. Half the time she would be fine and her usual self, but when she seemed to digress similar to how she was now… It hurt him seeing her that way. Why didn't she feel comfortable showing the vulnerable side of herself? If with anyone, she should have been fine showing it to him. They had been close for so long… Maybe he was just another casual person in her life.

"Except for you, apparently." She stated, merely look at the ground. Despite it's could and rough appearance, it seemed more welcoming than the man who stood in front of her was.

"Come on, Jill… Just pull down your barrier for awhile. It's not healthy for you to keep everything so bottled up." He said, shaking his head, "_Please._ You've got me more than worried about you."

She grunted and shifted awkwardly on the spot. She looked forward, but tried to look past him, not at him. She didn't want to make eye contact with him, not at the moment. She squirmed, able to feel his gaze on her. The two stood for a few minutes, all the while Jill visibly showing her unease. Him looking at her like that… It made her stomach feel odd. She wished he would stop caring.

"… Jill." He began once more, his tone coaxing her to look at him.

"What?" She asked blankly. He met her eyes with a tender, warm look that sent a chill down Jill's spine. She bit her lip, worried about what he was going to add to his statement. He spread his arms out a smiled brightly, near lovingly, "Hug."

"Excuse me?" She asked slowly, cocking her head to the side.

"Hug me." He repeated, gesturing with his fingers for her to do so, "C'here."

"You're kidding me, aren't you?" Jill asked, eyeing him awkwardly. She felt suspicious of him – Which was a completely irrational thing to feel around this man.

"Hug me, damn it!" He huffed, stomping his foot on the ground. Jill rolled her eyes, thinking to herself about how much like a child he was acting, but took those few steps forwards. She put her arms around his neck, rather than his waist. Her unease about him quickly took a backseat in her mind. He felt warmer than herself, and for whatever reason it made her feel somewhat… Cosy, knowing that warmth was there for _her_.

"You're a moron, you know that?" Jill asked when he in turn put his arms around her waist, hugging her quite tightly.

"But are you feeling better now?" He asked. It was funny to him – Despite how tense and irritable she had been only moments ago, it was like her bad mood had been completely washed away once his arms were around her.

"Yes, you big, dumb, pompous idiot."

"Yeah, I love you too." He chuckled. He paused, feeling Jill wiggle awkwardly in his arms. "Are you alright?"

"I've never been better, Chris." She stated, stopping once he acknowledged her movements. "… Thanks for being here for me."

"What are friends for?" He simply stated back, though was pained saying the statement. Even now, he wished more than ever that he was more to her than a _friend_. He cursed the fact that he felt like a lovesick puppy.

"… Chris…" Jill said quietly, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yeah?" He asked, matching the volume of her voice. Her bottom lip quivered slightly as she looked him in the eyes. He could have sworn hers were stating 'I love you', but that must have just been wishful thinking once again.

Jill did her best to hide the fact that this was indeed the hidden message that nearly let slip.

"… Don't forget to get your eye checked, please." She said, moving her arms from around his neck and lowering them, pushing against his chest. He reluctantly let go of her, and she took a step back. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Chris watched her hips move as she walked into her apartment, closing the door behind her after giving a slight wave goodbye. He watched the door for a few moments, before turning and heading out of the apartment building. He stopped, leaning against the wall next to the entrance.

He dipped his hand into one of the pockets of his pants and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. It had been far too long since he'd had a smoke – Come to think of it, he hadn't even lit one since he had left the hospital. He had been concentrating too hard on making sure that he would be able to see once more. How strange.

But now, damn, did he need one.

How he had been fighting what his mind, or at least his hands, had been telling him to do. He couldn't say that – He couldn't touch her like that – He couldn't lie and say that she loved him like that.

He wanted to deny it. He wanted to say it would pass. But it wouldn't. He was utterly addicted to her. And he didn't even want to try and give her up. No matter how hopeless it seemed. He couldn't even place when his fondness for her had taken such a leap. Everything about her was too intoxicating.

He took out a cigarette and put the pack back in his pocket, before grabbing the lighter in his opposite pocket, lighting the tip of his smoke and breathing it in deep. He had a feeling that packet would be finished within an hour.

He took a glance at the time which was displayed on one of the buildings. There would still be a doctor's open this time of night. He knew he was fine, but if it would set Jill's mind at ease… He would do it, for her.

After a few more smokes, at least.

* * *

A slow day, like nearly all of the others. A few glances at the clock, and time just seemed to drag on slowly, so very slowly.

Just like a number of times that morning, Jill watched the clock. It had just been paper work for a good two hours, but Chris still hadn't turned up. She hated making herself worry so much about him.

She groaned weakly, resting her head on her desk and moving her arms onto it, next to her face to help block the light from her eyes. After Chris had left the previous night, Jill had made the very stupid mistake of drinking. Drinking a little more than she could handle, one should note. One would think that, after last time, she would be smarter than to do this. But for whatever reason, her spirit had just been broken afterwards, and the time had made it too early to simply go to bed.

"Are you alright, Jill?" The voice of Rebecca chimed in after some time had passed. Jill winced, Rebecca's voice being far too loud for her. She was going to make it simple for the young medic.

"Rebecca, Sweetie, never drink." Jill stated quietly, not moving from her position. "It's bad for you, honey."

"But… Then why did you drink, Jill?" Rebecca asked, putting two-and-two together with easily.

Jill bolted up to sitting position, grabs Rebecca by the scruff of her vest and yanking her close enough to bump foreheads with her. It had been a fluid, quick action, not allowing the poor youngster any time to even gather what had just happened.

"Because I'm an **idiot**, that's why!" Jill answered loudly. She let go of the girl, turned and fell back to the position she had been in before the outburst.

Rebecca, shaken by the little incident, squeaked a quiet 'I won't Jill', before going back to her desk.

Jill groaned softly once again, glancing up at the clock. It was getting so late, for work, at least. She couldn't stop her heart aching with worry. He had gone to the doctors like she had ordered, right? Did he go, and something had happened? Or did he ditch, and something else instead had happened?

The office door opened audibly, causing Jill to quickly spin around to face it, despite the pain it caused her head. Walking in as cocky as ever, was none of than Chris Redfield.

"Chris!" Jill accidentally let slip the cry of relief as she stood up from her seat. The tone in her voice took most of the others by surprise. She took a step forward, but quickly leaned back against her desk, looking off to the side. She had been ready to rush over to him, but managed to catch herself before she could follow through. She dug her nails against the wood of the desk, before returning her gaze to him. "… There's a difference between being fashionably late and ridiculously late, Mr. Redfield."

"Mr. Redfield?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, "That makes it sound like you're one of those chicks from the pornos that come onto the guys."

Jill gave a slight smirk. He should have known better by now than to give the woman ammunition. She flicked her hair back, quite similar to how it was done on TV shows as well as the topic Chris had brought up. "Oh _officer_," Jill gasped seductively, placing a hand over her chest. "When you said you needed to search me, I didn't think your probe would go _so __**deep**_**!**"

"I'm sorry Madame, but I'm afraid I don't always play along with the code of conduct here." Chris purred, playing the opposing role quite well.

"I bet if you two asked to make that porno, Wesker would give you permission as long as he had publication rights." Joseph commented to the two.

That having been said, Wesker cleared his throat and rose from his seat, smoothing his hands out on top of his desk.

The rest of the office looked over at him, not seeming very interested in what he would have as an announcement. "As much as I hate to interrupt Redfield and Valentine's foreplay, I would like to get something out of the way. A certain 'Talk'." He stated, causing a groan to erupt from the room.

"Captain Wesker, we're all grown-up, you see, we already know what the 'talk' is about, even Rebecca! To the amazement of many…" Forest stated, rolling his eyes. Wesker shook his head, walking past his desk, heading towards one of the whiteboards that had been earlier brought in.

"Speyer, as true as that may be, even _with_ the amazement of Chamber's lack of virginity…" Wesker began, Rebecca chiming in with an offended 'Hey!!', "It is a different aspect I wish to talk about."

Wesker grabbed a whiteboard marker, raising his arm high to write in large capitals 'sex', followed by a line which lead to 'condoms'. He turned to face the bewildered group, who by now greatly feared the speech to come.

"Condoms are your friends!" He stated, glaring at most of the group, clearly the men, while the two girls moved to the back and did their best to not giggle at the beat down that was going to go down. "And any one who says that they don't feel anything or some such crap like that, are lying!"

Most of the men squirmed awkwardly. They were all guilty of the statement.

"Are you all wondering why I'm beating this into you at this point in time?" Wesker asked, "Because women get pregnant from bastards like that! And when women are pregnant, they get scary! Scarier than **me**! Isn't the right, Barry?!"

Barry rose from is chair, having been addressed and knowing all too well the truth about what Wesker was saying.

"Yes, Sir!" Barry answered, giving a formal salute.

"Okay, this is awkward for me, I'm leaving." Chris said, having not sat down. He quickly headed out of the room, ignoring Wesker's shout for him to heel and return.

He decided it would be far better to kill two birds with one stone instead of being reminded of that _one_ mistake… Come on, how many times did that need to be brought up?

He pulled out his phone, and figured it was about time to update his little sister on his martial status.

* * *

Claire collapsed onto one of the benches that littered the campus. She was exhausted by now and was just _trying_ to convince herself that the trek to get a coffee would be worth it. Frankly, she wasn't buying it.

Ever since the day before she had left her phone off, and only turned it on a few minutes ago. That damn Amy bitch… Claire rejected all of the calls she received, which just seemed to increase in number with each growing hour. She was trying to study… Or, slack off, she had no time for it. She hadn't stopped to wonder why the calls had been so frequent, _desperate_ since the previous morning.

She took a glance at her phone and grunted as it vibrated in her hand. What great timing it had. By now the melody that alerted her had burned into her eardrums and made her want to smash any and all objects around her – Including people's faces.

She was ready to throw it into the bin beside her when she actually noticed the name the flashed up. She answered it, the conversation between her and her older brother short and brief, but…

Claire squealed happily as soon as she hung up the phone. Hell yes! She couldn't contain herself. She threw her arms up in the air and gave a loud cheer, causing a few of her class mates to take a glance at her. She didn't care what so ever about it.

"She's gone, she's gone! That damn nosey bitch is gone! And Jill's single! Jill's gonna be my sister-in-law in no time, I know it!" She yelled in ecstasy, "Damn it, I have to go down and see them! Right now! Yes!!"

Once more her phone rang, and she answered it without even bothering to see if it was that dreaded woman. She was too overjoyed to care.

"Hello? Steeeeveeeee!! You! You're coming with me! Screw it, you can ditch school! Fuck the test! More important things! Now!"

The people on campus that knew her would deny that fact for some time after this.

* * *

"Enrico, I need to talk to you…"

The low, wounded tone in the voice that addressed him caught Bravo's Captain by surprise. He looked up from his work, which mainly consisted of random drawings of houses and dogs around the boarders of notes. He caught site of Edward, who seemed more than a little mopey beside him.

"Hm, Edward? What's up?" Enrico inquired. He tried to think through the day – There had been no incidents, other than Wesker's verbal abuse, that could reduce the man to the sad state he was in. Especially considering how upbeat he usually was around the office.

Edward sighed softly, not making eye contact with Enrico, but moving on. "Well, it's just something that's crossed my mind." He began, his chin tilted down, eyes to the ground, "Do you ever feel like you're just a… Filler?"

"A filler?" Enrico repeated the statement, not quite sure of what the young man was getting at. He was hoping that he wasn't going to start going on about the meaning of life, followed by an announcement to join a convent in hopes of redeeming himself.

The Raccoon Police Department had already lost one too many officers due to that.

"Like no-one really plays attention to what you're doing? As if, some how you're missing out on the limelight?" Edward said, trying to rephrase his question. He shrugged uncomfortably, unsure of how to go about it.

"Funny you should mention that…" Enrico began, raising his hand to his mustache and pressing it down with his thumb. "Kevin Dewey was just talking to me the about the same reason earlier."

"You see?" Edward asked loudly, raising his arms about to preach, but they quickly fell to his sides, followed by another hollow sounding sigh. "I bet nobody even heard that!"

"Heard what, exactly?"

"The conversation! Ask anyone, and no-one will know it!" Edward explained, turning his back to Enrico and lowering his head, "I'm gonna go out and catch some fresh air… Maybe join a Convent or something, find my purpose…"

"I swear to god if you do that, I'll tear that nun attire off of you and beat you with the butt of my gun until you can't tell left from right anymore!" Enrico threatened, slamming his fists against the desks.

"Oh, fine… Maybe I'll just go get a soda, or something…"

"Drink anything you want as long as it's not Holy Water."

* * *

Steve tapped his HB pencil lightly against his paper. He was zoning out, clearly thinking about other things. His free elbow rested on the table, head propped up with his hand.

No matter how many times he looked away and back, the clock never seemed to change. Yet the seconds hand ticking ever so slowly seemed more interesting than the words printed on the paper below his eyes. All the words seemed jumbled, and useless to him. Really, he didn't much care for this – As soon as he had the chance, he was going to drop Politics. Move into something he could actually get into.

He looked down once more to his paper, noticing the faint patterns of lead his tapping had left somewhat imprinted on his page. He would simply erase them later, if he could be bothered.

As his mind mauled over one of the questions half way down the second page, he could hear his teacher excuse himself and swiftly leave the class, wanting to attend a matter quickly.

Steve knew if his teacher didn't return in ten minutes, the classroom would break out to an absolute war zone. He was openly excited about that – Not just to getaway from the work in front of him. A little chaos was good for the system – Especially in the middle of an exam.

He had very little time to contemplate what method of paper plane he would end up pulling together for the awaiting onslaught – A loud, obnoxious sound of an air horn nearly gave not only himself, but all of his fellow classmates a heart attack. He, along with many others, quickly looked over to the large window on the left wall. However, he would be the only one to recognize the woman and the motorcycle that was in view.

"Claire?" he mouthed, raising an eyebrow. When she had demanded for him to skip class, he had honestly thought she had just been jerking him around – But what in the world was she…

Claire quickly answered any questions he may have had. Claire pointed to herself, then to him, before up towards the top of the window. Her gestures that followed explained a rather elaborate, full proof plan – Which simply translated into him climbing out of the top half of the window, getting on the Motorcycle, and the two riding back before his teacher could notice.

One of Steve's friends, Kurt, threw a pencil at the back of Steve's head, making him turn quickly to face him.

"Do you know that chick?" Kurt asked bluntly, noticing that she had clearly been addressing his friend, much to the dismay of some of the room's occupants. Steve gave a nod, before rising from his seat.

Hey, he would just re-sit his exam another day, no big deal. No big deal at all.

He casually walked over to the group of class cupboards and shelves near the window, climbing on top of the sturdiest structure, and lifting himself up onto the edge of the opened window. He managed to get one leg over the wood, sitting somewhat uncomfortably on the framing. He took a glance at his classmates, then a glance to Claire below him.

Claire raised her arms up, wanting to hurry him up. He was taking too much time – His teacher could be back at any moment, and she liked the thought of this daring escape more than simply having him signed out through a forged signature.

"Jump Steve, I'll catch you!" She stated, just in case her motions weren't enough to hint at that. Steve didn't exactly seem content with this idea. He was meant to be the man, after all…

"This is kinda awkward, Claire!" He stated, feeling the strong breeze blow through the window, nearly knocking him over. He took another glance inside, swatting away a paper ball one of his other friends, Russell, had thrown in his direction.

The room erupted in a number of murmurs that formed 'Who is that?'. It struck Steve as quite a funny sort of thing, was this really such a commotion causer?

He did his best to sit up straighter, filled with quite a bit of pride. "My girlfriend, I'll have you know." Steve announced with a smirk, only making the murmuring turn into louder statements.

"Damn, that girlfriend of your is hot!" Kurt stated, blinking a few times in disbelief.

"Damn straight!" Steve beamed, as if part of that was thanks to his won work.

"She's got a nice rack, too!" Kurt was quick to add. Steve shot him a glare, feeling the strong need to make clear what his territory was.

"Hey, those are mine!" He growled loudly in return.

"Excuse me?!"

"How can you even hear us?" Steve asked, leaning somewhat outside to look down at Claire, who had promptly placed her hands on her hips while looking up at him. She didn't seem exactly pleased with the statement – But certainly amused, her slight smile giving it away.

"You're sitting half way through a window sill, Steve!" Russell stated, throwing yet another paper ball at his friend. This one nearly knocked him off, but Steve managed to hold on rather tight, knowing the dangers if Claire wasn't fast enough to catch him. High window...

However, the shouts came to an abrupt stop, but not fast enough for Steve to hear the door opening once more.

"Mr. Burnside, get back into this classroom, **NOW!**" His teach bellowed, after taking a few moments to close his own gaping mouth that had fallen when surveying the scene. He was more than a little lost with what was taking place - All he could see was one of his students trying to get out of an exam.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Jordan I can't hear you, my girlfriend's awesome is being too loud!" Steve stated, looking over to his teacher. The boy was surprisingly quick witted, Mr. Jordan had to give him that at least.

"Don't be a suck up, Burnside!" Mr. Jordan stated, "Get back in here, **now**!"

"Hey, take some notes!" Steve grinned, bringing his other leg over the side. He glanced over his shoulder, finishing his statement before jumping down, "You're the one that's divorced!"

"… Touche." The Politics teacher said, crossing his arms for a moment to think the statement over. He quickly snapped out of it, but as soon as he did, anything wanted to shout was simply drowned out by the sound of a motorcycle revving up, and speeding away.

"Hot _damn_." Kurt simply said.

* * *

A/N;

Once again, I'm really sorry for the wait DX But you can thank Ditto9 and my friend Shin for this chunk being uploaded now XD


	23. Paperthin Hymn

A/N;

Aw man XD; It's like I'm saying 'Hey guys, end next t--- You know what too long, next time :c'

I decided to split the last chapter into two, one being this, because it was too long, and taking me too long to type XD Don't want a repeat of last time :c So, here's go!

Oh, I really should say that the whole bar incident you'll find somewhere in the fic, really is props to a guy in my class, Lee XD What's stated there actually took place – All of it.

I'd also like to ask a favour of everyone – Please crit my writing. I don't feel like I'm actually getting any better, and my writing at the moment is subpar at the most. If you have the time while you review, can you lend me a hand to get better? Much appreciated.

Reviewers… I'll add reply here tomorrows XD I really need to get to bed.

Oh, and if there's anything you wanna see in the last chapter or there's something that I've forgotten to resolve, feel free to mention it – I want to tie up as many loose ends as I can.

Though I should remind you, there are two bonus chapters in the making.

Resident Evil doesn't belong to me.

Paperthin Hymns lyrics belong to Anberlin.

* * *

**Paperthin Hymns**_**  
Since your paper heart stopped beating leaving me suddenly alone, Will daybreak ever come?  
Who's gonna call on Sunday morning? Who's gonna drive you home? I just want one more chance, To put my arms in fragile hand**_

"So… What took you so long to get here?" Jill asked as she leaning her elbow on the desk, looking over to Chris as best as she could. She was doing her best to keep the worry she had displayed hidden from ever being shown. Here, it was not a sort of emotion to show. For her to exhibit, no less.

If she wasn't who she was, no doubt she could be forgiven for it. After all, she had been left so worried the other night she had basically made herself sick – Though that may have been due to the fact that she had went on to down a few too many drinks before heading off to bed.

Chris simply shrugged, not thinking much of it.

"I went to the doctors like you said," He answered, "I got kept in over night at the hospital."

Jill's body tensed hearing this, looking at him with that worry she failed to cover. "What are you doing here, then?!"

He raised his hand to quiet her down. He really should have phrased that better than what he had. "Calm down, it was just so they could run some tests… I'm fine, Jill, doctor says so. Don't get so jumpy, alright? It's not good for your health."

She sighed, relieved, and then shot him a glare. "Like I can help being jumpy. My health? _My_ Health? What about yours?" She clenched her teeth, nails once again digging into the deepening indents carved into the wood of her desk. "You prick, think before you speak!"

Chris opened his mouth to reply to her, but a loud snap sound rang out from somewhere else, followed quickly by a crunch, and a scream of agony. Both he and Jill mouthed the words 'what in the hell?' as Rebecca jumped up from her seat, throwing her arms up in the air.

"Yeah! Finally! I **knew** those bear traps were a good investment!!" She cheered loudly, before grabbing the back of Forest's vest and beginning to drag him towards the door, "Come on, Forest!! We gotta go look at the sweet, sweet damage!"

Really, Forest had no say in where he was being dragged, so just left without too much protest.

"Well that certainly was… Interesting." Jill commented. She stood up and stretched, not appearing to notice Chris look her up and down as she did so. He was getting a good look while he had the chance. What was the harm? At least he wasn't grabbing her, dragging her out of the door and stating that he was claiming her there and then with 'I'm going to have my way with you' as a finishing statement.

Hm, perhaps his imagination was becoming too wild for its own good – At least it couldn't run rabid.

"So what did they tell you?" Jill asked. Chris snapped from his over active fantasies. "I mean, for them to keep you in over night…"

As Chris cleared his throat to do his best to explain it to Jill, the office door opened wide. As wide as a door in that vicinity could at least. The back of it slammed into Richard's desk, causing the startled man to drop his paperwork.

The younger Redfield sibling quickly apologized to him as she turned past the door, grabbing the fallen bits of paperwork; after dragging in an unfamiliar red-head - to most of the officers, at least.

Standing up and placing the papers back onto Richard's desk, she quickly rose to her feet and put a hand over Steve's mouth. The others didn't show much interested – By now, they were becoming used to unknown people showing up to the office and being treated oddly.

Claire whispered a quiet shush in Steve's ear, continuing on to tell him to not announce himself for a moment. Something else was going on, that was relevant to her interests.

Claire's gaze had wondered to the far side of the room, to Jill's desk where the owner of the furniture herself, along with Claire's brother stood. Both appeared awkward. Both appeared hesitant. Both appeared very… Cautious. The two avoided each other's eyes, looking off to the side.

Jill's even fingernails once more dug into her desk. This habit seemed to have replaced her lip biting habit, at least in majority. Her left shoulder jerked higher than the other, a usual gesture reserved for those in shy situations. For a regular conversation between the two, it didn't fit Ms. Valentine in the slightest.

Chris had run his own fingers through his dark messy hair. Being his younger sister, Claire couldn't picture him like it, but she was sure that some women could refer to him as tall, dark and handsome. If that was even anything to be called these days. And sure was positive that Jill did, for one. Chris would not, could not, use that description for anything – His own self esteem had taken a back seat, his eyes avoiding Jill in the same manner hers avoided him.

Claire looked at the two strangely. Both of them were single now… Even if she was the only one who knew… Why hadn't they jumped each other yet? Were they either blind, or just idiots? Neither had ever appeared shy up until now, that was for sure. Maybe there was the chance they didn't know about the other's partner… Or lack thereof. She was so tempted to just shout out the truth. But the promises she had made bound her not to.

"Well… I'm glad, Chris. Amy will be happy that your health's still maintaining." Jill said, her voice harbouring the fact that she was quite depressed at the thought of that woman being with Chris.

There was Amy mentioned, Claire noted.

Chris nodded. "Yeah… I'm sure she'd be as worried about me as Justin would be with you." Chris stated, whom seeming very awkward talking about that man. Chris _still_ wished he could have taken his place.

"Heh… Y, Yeah." Jill mumbled, continuing to looking off to the side and nodding a little herself.

Justin was brought up. It was clear the two were absolutely clueless. Damn it, how Claire wanted to step in! But she would never hear the end of it, if she did…

At last she could put both of them out of their misery, until she could think of something else to do.

"Hey, younger sister standing over here!" Claire finally called out, pained just watching the two's quiet distress. Chris and Jill quickly looked over her after flinching, both with surprised looks on their faces.

Claire grabbed hold of Steve's hand, dragging him across the room as she headed over to the two she had addressed. Both, whom seemed equally surprised by her visit.

"What are you doing here?" Chris asked, blinking a few times as she spoke.

"I don't even get a hellooo~?" Claire asked, letting go of Steve's hands and putting her hands on her hips. "That's pretty mean of you, Chris!"

Steve gulped. So, this was Chris. The big brother. The _protective_ big brother. He was making about twenty mental notes of things not to do in front of this guy's presence.

"I thought I would come in to help celebrate!" Claire eventually answered after Chris had put his hands up as an apology. Upon hearing this, his hands quickly feel back to his sides. He knew exactly what his younger sister was talking about.

Jill, on the other hand, assumed that she knew, as well. However, certain roles changed, the visit being about her own break up rather than Chris'.

Of course, both were wrong – And right, though Claire would be sure to not let either of them know that.

"Oh, and along with that," Claire continued, "Introductions, too! This is Steve!"

Claire turned and stood behind Steve, pushing the young man forward, much against his will. Steve, more than a little hesitant, raised his hand to offer a slight wave, and could do nothing else as he noticed his girlfriend's older brother seeming unamused.

"Jill, can I talk to you for a just a second?" Claire asked, giving Steve another shove in the back. Jill just managed to offer a nod before Claire grabbed her wrist, walking her off to the side where the two couldn't be heard.

Claire took a glance over at Chris and Steve, seeing her brother being all too intimidating. Well, Steve would just have to toughen up – Chris may have acted tough, but he'd never lay a hand on him, unless he started it, of course. Jill's gaze followed Claire's, before she snapped back to look at her as the young Redfield spoke.

"That damn brother of mine!" Claire hissed, shaking her head, "He should be asking you to have his babies by now!"

Jill, quite naturally, was taken aback by this for a few moments. However, she closed her eyes, shaking her own head. "He's just being faithful, that's all." Jill sighed somewhat, shoulders slumping and making the woman look rather miserable, "Something commendable, that's for sure. I have to respect him for that."

"Bullshit." Claire stated stubbornly, putting her hands on her hips. "I think both of you might have something wrong in your heads!"

Jill huffed, "Excuse me, Missy? Remember who you're talking to." She wasn't being completely serious, but Billy's nickname of 'Blue jay' for her seemed spot on.

"You know I'm speaking the truth!" Claire said, turning away and putting her hands over her ears, "Any rebuttals you decide to launch against me shall be ignored. Good day, Mrs. Redfield."

"You're pushing your luck, Claire." Jill stated. Although on a regular occasion, about anyone else, it could have easily been a stubborn statement – This one seemed a little more desperate, Jill's voice losing its stern tone and rather replaced with more of a heavy breath, and the blush on her face not helping the situation at all.

Claire opened her mouth to say something, but knew after a moment's thought it would probably offend Jill. Or, rather, make her feel very uncomfortable. She decided against it, not wishing to put her potential sister in law off at all.

"You're thinking something nasty, aren't you?" Jill inquired, Claire whistling innocently.

"Why, I don't know what you mean!" Claire stated, shaking her head.

Nothing more could be said from either of the two, and it was only a few moments later that they returned back to the males they had left behind to socialized.

Steve was still as tense as the moment the girls had left him with Chris. Chris, apparently, had by now gathered Steve's lack of enthusiasm towards the situation, and couldn't wipe the smirk off of his face. Just the little things, like striking the fear into the men interested in his little sister, made that man happy.

Of course, Claire being the caring, loving person she happened to be, was very quick to give her brother a firm strike to the back of the head, threatened to kick his arse, and grabbed Steve by the scruff to take him away and introduce him to everyone else that appeared to give a slight damn.

Jill patted Chris on the head, just a simple gesture sympathy – If one could call something like that between those two by such a name. He gave somewhat of a purr, leaning against Jill's hand.

"Now what exactly are you doing? You're usually a puppy, aren't you?" She asked, taking that moment to run her fingers through his hair without too much difficulty.

"Last time I checked, I was perfectly human." He stated, allowing her to do so for a few moments before brushing her hand away and rising to his feet.

**Thwack!**

"Christ, what the hell, Jill?!"

Chris put a hand on his desk and slumped over, trying to put his free hand over his side, unable to reach the certain part where he had taken a nasty punch. He tried to look over his shoulder to Jill, who was standing quite triumphantly with her hands on her hips.

"You remember that time you made fun of me for not getting any, and I said I would punch you in the kidneys? Valentines never forget, Chris. We _never_ forget." She stated, a smirk clear on her features.

Chris slumped back into his chair, back arched slightly so his shoulders were over the top of the chair's support. "Now I remember why I vowed never to cross you…" He mumbled, though a hint of a chuckle in his voice. He didn't know exactly what had caused that, now, of all times – Or why she felt justified to do it. But just that sheer spontaneous seeming action thrilled him slightly, even with the pain as consequence.

"You know, I could have just given you 'some' in the first place." He stated, trying to reach the sore spot.

Jill looked at him serious for a moment, sending a chill down his spine. "No. You know you can't go doing that."

She grabbed her chair, wheeling it over next to him and taking a seat beside him. She rested her elbows on the desk, her chin in her hands, and watched him slowly recover from the pain. Although somewhat distracted by her presence, he attempted to get back to work – or, slack.

"You're looking at cars?" Jill asked, tilting her head to the side a fraction as the man grabbed a magazine from between his work. Chris gave a simple nod as he flipped through a few pages, pausing at a certain photo spread.

Jill rolled her eyes. She wondered what it was about men and cars, but quickly abandoned the question. She knew she would fry her brain before she came upon an answer, and she needed what she had left functioning to make it through the rest of the day.

"… What?" He asked, glancing towards her. He basically felt the piercing feeling her eyes caused when she stared so intensely in his direction.

"You've just never struck me as someone to be so caught up in those sorts of things." She said with a slight smirk. She edged a little closer, tapping on the car present on the pages.

"Don't touch." He pouted, nudging her back to her place. She pouted back, trying to move forward again. "I'm guessing you've got your eye on that one?"

"Perhaps I am, and if you are. You're not touching it." He stated defensively, shifting the magazine away a fraction. "The way you disregard the magazine makes me fearful of what you'd do if you drove it."

"You certainly sound precious about it." She teased with a slight smirk, raising her hand and running it quickly through his hair once again, ruffling it up before he leaned just out of reach of her fingertips. Not being too put off by this, she let her hand rest on his lap instead.

Chris was too caught up in wording his comeback to notice Jill's hand placement.

"Don't act so high and mighty. When it comes to driving something like that…" Chris began, trying to think of the best way to describe it, "It's like love making, you've gotta be gentle."

"Gentle?" Jill remarked, giving him a look of amusement at his comparison. A slight hint of a smile was also present.

"Yeah, Gentle." He nodded, though was beginning to feel somewhat awkward. When he was met with nothing but silence, he tried to rouse a reply from her, "What?"

"If you're comparing driving to sex, I've always liked it hard and passionate, personally." She declared, her voice calm and words evenly paced, but some how insisting her point with a smirk.

"That's not the way to drive a car, Jill!" Chris stated, crossing his arms. However, he couldn't help but make a mental note of the way Jill liked _it_.

"Mhm, you're quite the skittish little boy, aren't you?" She teased, pushing her chair away and leaving the man on his own to blush.

* * *

"I think I can beat that. I remember this one time, my mate and I were really bored. So we decided to sneak into a Lesbian Bar. Supposedly I have very feminine features with the help of some eye shadow."

"So what happened after the sneaking into the bar?"

"Oh – My mate's mum saw us."

"Ah… Wait, excuse me?"

Oh how subtle that was. Richard had nearly jumped out of his chair once he realised what exactly Joseph had said. Joseph simply continued to sit in his seat, arms crossed and obviously serious about the incident.

"His mum?" Richard asked, managing to catch himself and convince himself not to rise to his feet.

Joseph nodded, "Yeah, his mum. We bailed as soon as we saw her, but when she got home she actually seemed generally nice about it."

"How so?"

"Well for one, she asked me what happened to the woman who carried me off the dance floor."

"… What happened…?"

"I told her I was tired and needed to leave. Nice woman. Put me down and let me leave the room quietly, then sprint the fuck home."

"I… Have no words for that. You win hands down."

The two looked over across the room, just to see a hug between Valentine and Redfield come to an end.

"… Is it just me, or are those two being more… Cuddly than usual?" Richard asked, though hushed his voice knowing that Jill was going to leave the room – Which would involve her passing them by.

"Allow me to find out." Joseph said, standing up and tapping Jill on the shoulder just as she took a step by. She paused, turned, and gave a questioning look.

"Jill… you're not a huggy person." Joseph said, seeming to skip straight to the point – Or so he had assumed.

"And… Your point being?" Jill quizzed, putting a hand on her hip and eyeing him suspiciously.

"… You've been hugging Chris a whole lot lately."

" Yeah? And?" She asked, not even giving the man time to take a breath after his sentence.

"… I want a hug.

" He answered, putting aside how defensive she had gotten at his previous statement. He would analyze that later.

One couldn't blame Jill for hesitating, and falling back on that suspicion. As stated, she was indeed not exactly a huggy person. Hell, she wasn't much one for physical contact, either. But the request seemed sincere enough – It wasn't as if it was asked by Wesker. A few silent minutes passed before the woman gave in.

"Alright, fine." She murmured, holding her arms out for that request, though unsurprisingly seemed a tad awkward with it. However, just as Joseph had taken a step forward, a blur of yellow reached her arms before him.

"Brad?!" There was a solid impression of surprise in her tone, and the volume causing a few heads to turn to the scene. Indeed, it was the scaredy-cat Brad Vickers, hugging her quite tightly though in a childlike manner. She questioned how long it would be before she broke a rib from the pressure.

"Just… taking the opportunity before Joseph could." The man squeaked, while Joseph was simply looking gobsmacked beside them.

"… Riiiight…" Jill hummed lowly, not seeming to change her stance on the situation.

"It's been months since I've gotten a hug off you!" Brad stated, seeming to do so in his defense, "Come to think of it, I don't think you've ever really been friendly enough to give people hugs! Not even on your first day!"

"Well did you really think I would hug you on my first day?" Jill asked, raising an eyebrow before giving him an awkward hug in return. "I punched Chris in the stomach that day, after all."

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. If this was a grown man hugging her, she shuddered to think what it would be like if a child ever gathered up enough courage to try and steal an embrace from her.

"Your hugs are the greatest." Brad stated, Joseph sulking back to his seat.

"It's because of the boobs, isn't it?" Jill asked, very straight with the question.

"_Partly._" Brad answered.

"_Ooooooff me._" She put her hands on his shoulders, and did her best to pry the man off. Of course, he was latched on right – Unsure of when he would get a chance for it again. "Don't make me pinch your sides, Vickers."

He gave a quick squeak, and no sooner had Jill blinked, he had quickly retreated back to his seat. Jill dusted herself off, thanked god she could breath properly again, and quickly headed out.

"That was meant to be _my_ hug…" Joseph muttered.

* * *

Jill took her time pacing on the first floor of the station – perhaps due to the hug incident not too long ago. She had completely forgotten what exactly she had gone out there to begin with. Well, no harm was being done so far, so perhaps she could just wait for it to return.

She set herself down on one of the seats that had recently been put out near the reception area – The one in the entrance of the building, purely for the fact that some people didn't seem to realise that there was another reception room.

She didn't bother to cross her legs, letting her elbows rest on her knees as she leaned forward, resting her chin on the back of her hands. It was a surprisingly comfortable position, which made it no surprise that Jill herself and a fair few others took that pose when trying to relax.

Now, her thoughts. Oh where oh where had they run off to?

Some how that thought reminded her of what Chris had said once; Don't let Joseph's brain wonder, it's too small to be out on it's own.

She laughed quietly to herself, smiling as she straightened up then leaned back in her chair. She could feel herself heat up at the thought of him. Chris, not Joseph, of course.

For this little time, a rare point on the clock where she felt safe to forget the shield around herself, she allowed herself to dream, just a little.

That damn Redfield. She hated the fact that lately he had been making her weak in the knees, filling her stomach with those fluttering butterflies. She simply could not remember the last time anyone had made her feel quite that way. She could feel the giddiness from her head to her toes, which was quite a feat. Not even when she had first gone with Justin had she felt like that. The sensation was warm, and it filled her with an even more beautiful feeling.

But oh, how hopeless the feelings were. Maybe she had just forgotten what had overcome her all that time ago, and she was simply relapsing into hopeless affection and lust again.

No, now wasn't the time to fight herself. It was the time to think whatever she wanted to without guilt, without reasoning. Whatever the logic was behind it, she adored that man, far beyond the friendship that they wore. What did the others think of that, exactly? Was Jill's heart visible to them? She had loosened up around those people quite awhile ago, or they had worn her down. It was nearly impossible to keep up a strong defense in front of them – There was no need for a defense when someone was perfectly safe. And she felt safest around _him_.

"What a gorgeous feeling…" She whispered softly, wrapping her arms around herself and swaying just a fraction from side to side, the smile she had no doubt betraying the reputation she had with anyone who might see her.

Jill simply could not shake off the memories of the times Chris had held her. What a childish school girl she must have looked like, and sounded like if anyone could hear her thoughts. Eat word and image that run in her head oozed with that strange feeling of love.

It was funny, if she had known of anyone else acting like this or in a similar situation, she probably would have slapped them and told them to stop being so childish and love-struck. It was quite strange to be feeling such things herself, and catching herself at it, at that.

She was just ready to quietly squeal 'I'm in love' to herself, when a firm palm was placed onto her shoulder. She looked up, noticing a man who's face she knew, but not his name. He was one of the RPD officers, if memory served correctly – And if not that, than his blue uniform told that story. The blush from her face quickly disappeared, her mood broken by the intrusion. No need to hold it against him; He had meant no harm.

"Is there something I can do for you?" She asked flatly, the mask she usually wore returning.

"Yes, actually." He said, seeming a little surprised by her sudden change in attitude. Though that wasn't too startling all together – He had heard many tales of the somewhat scary Miss Valentine. Something seemed to dawn on him, an assumption as such. "

Oh, you're Redfield's girlfriend, right?"

Jill's eyes widened and her draw dropped. Her cheeks flushed red again, but this time out of embarrassment. She was at a lose for words, and only managed to splutter a loud, distressed, "Nn---No!!"

The officer mumbled a soft 'oooh' and his eyes looked to the side. "… Awkwaaaaaaaard."

"T, Talk to me later. I have to go." She quickly got up from her seat, pushing past the young officer and sprinting off to go find the stairs and retreat back to the STARS office. The RPD officer whistled when she was out of earshot.

Jill snapped back to the harsh realm of reality as she scaled the stairs, reality being a place where her brain told her the Chris would never return her affections, and that she had dug herself into a whole she had no chance of getting out of.

She had always wondered why people wished for the impossible, and now she knew – Because when one lets themselves, just the thought of that wish makes them feel so happy.

* * *

The door slammed loudly shut as Jill walked back in, pressing her back up against the door as if desperately trying to keep it shut. Her fingers were spread and pushing so hard against the wood behind her that the joints were turning white and the tips a deep shade of red. Oddly enough, it was the same shade of red to match her cheeks.

She gave an awkward chuckle as the others in the office looked at her, raising one of her hands from the door in a slight greeting. Her smile was sheepish, and it would take an idiot to not see she was embarrassed – But about what?

She quickly moved away from the door, hoping that would deter the others for staring at her any longer.

"Hey, are you alright?" Rebecca asked, just loud enough for Jill to hear. She quickly spun to look at the girl with the somewhat worried look.

"I could be better…" She admitted quietly.

"What happened?"

Jill shook her head, crossing her arm over her stomach. "One of those officers in the RPD section… The guy asked me if I was Chris's girl. For Christ' sake, I'm a single girl!" There was heavy growl in the words, but she made sure her voice was quiet. She seemed to have the skill of screaming quietly.

Rebecca paused for a moment. This information was new to her, and it was clear that either Jill didn't know this, or she had let the fact slip momentarily. "You are?" She asked softly, causing Jill to jolt. Surely it had been an accident, then.

"Shit…"

"When'd that happen?" Rebecca asked gently, putting in a considerate amount of effort to keep any prying tone out of her voice.

"Oh, not too long ago." Jill answered with a slight shrug. She didn't feel uncomfortable talking about the subject – But she didn't feel overly enthusiastic about it, either. The blush once again had left her cheeks and she only appeared cold.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear, Jill…" Rebecca apologized. In all honesty, she hadn't exactly known Jill's situation for awhile. How long had it taken for her to actually know that she was already in a relationship? Or, had been in a relationship.

"It's alright. Really, I haven't lost anything." Jill stated, being rather blunt. However, Rebecca didn't quite understand what she meant. Jill managed to catch this, and continued. "I don't mean to sound like a cold hearted bitch saying it but, the break was pretty evitable. Sometimes things just don't work, Rebecca."

"Oh…" Rebecca murmured, looking away for a moment. She couldn't help but wonder whether Jill was actually doing well, or if she was actually covering some heartbreak she held. That woman was so hard to read these days, she was scared of stepping on her toes. But still… "Does that mean… You, and Chris…"

Jill simply shook her head, remaining silent for a few moments. Oh how quickly she had gone from feeling safe and secure to heartbroken and spiteful.

"No… No, I was stupid enough to make sure… Who am I kidding, there would have been no point trying." She mumbled the last part, however Rebecca's shoulder sunk when she managed to decipher exactly what was being said.

Ah, how Rebecca's memory failed her. How could she forget the girl that had been in Chris' room while he was at the hospital?

"Yeah, introducing him to Amy wasn't the smartest move I've ever made." Jill said with a nod, as if reading young Rebecca's mind. She let out a soft sigh, not one of angst or annoyance, but out of pride for herself. "But… I did it because I wanted him to be happy. I don't really mind. Yeah, sure I whine a fair bit every now and then but, as long as he's there for me in some way and he's happy, then… Well, I'm happy too I guess."

"… You really love him, don't you?" Rebecca asked, quieter than before. Jill slowly nodded and closed her eyes, the only sign she could give of agreement without her voice breaking. She waited a few moments, letting herself prepare for her response.

"If I can't have him as a lover, then I'm happy to just remain his friend. Ha, I guess I should have thought of that before this whole mess… Oh well, you can only take one day at a time."

"You're getting pretty philosophical, Jill."

"Yeah, I'll do that sometimes. 'Course normally the philosophical stuff I spew out is pretty much just all bullshit." Jill shrug, not seeming to give much of a damn anymore.

"Nah, I think I get it… A little bit." Rebecca tried to assure her. The girl already seemed down in the dumps enough, she didn't need herself attacking her own ego like that.

"Just hope one day ya won't have to. You've got something good with Billy, just keep at it." Jill said softly, before stuffing her hands into her pockets, walking over to the others and leaving Rebecca to think.

As she drew closer, she managed to pick up what the conversation revolved around.

Women. Oh, what a wonderful subject. However, her curiousity got the better of her, leading her to stand behind Chris' chair, holding onto the back rest. She simply listened, the guys not seeming to mind her appearance to the conversation.

The main theme of the topic happened to be more of how women could be bitches. Forest himself was going over a relatively bad experience he had had some months ago that had finished with his front lawn being dug up.

To Jill's surprise, Chris was the one that took up the talk next. He had never really told her very much about his history of relationships – Perhaps he hadn't thought it proper to talk to her about it. Apparently, he had a very long history of being broken up with, and usually pretty roughly, or because of rough things.

How many times had he had his heart broken? Jill wondered. Those girls would never know who they were missing out on.

She didn't notice her own actions, or else she would have probably have stopped herself from snaking her arms over his shoulders, wrapping them around him for a comforting cuddle. Nawww.

"You know how it goes," Jill said, seeming to direct her statement to the group rather than just Chris himself, "'She's the type of girl that leaves condoms on the bench to remind you that someone else fucked her before you.'"

"Jesus, you know someone like that?" Joseph laughed. That woman always seemed forward when it came to those sorts of statements, but they never ceased to catch him and the others off guard.

"I wouldn't quite use the term 'know'," She mused, a hint of a smirk on her face, "To put it in better terms, you're looking at her."

"Damn, Jill. Just, damn." Chris chuckled, raising his hand to place on Jill's wrist. With that action she realised what she had been doing, and quickly withdrew and retreated, walking away from the conversation and back over to Rebecca.

There was a light clicking on the ground, and Jill felt small, moving grips moving up her leg to her back. Oh, Gabriel. She had forgotten she had brought him in today. The poor fellow.

As soon as he reached her shoulder she gave him a quick stroke, before turning her attention back to Rebecca – Despite how much verbal protest Gabriel put up to being brushed off like that.

Rebecca herself was sitting on the edge of her desk, half thinking to herself and half trying to figure out why Claire's conversation with Wesker at his desk was about. The young man with her appeared very uncomfortable, so it was a valid question. However, as soon as Jill came into view, she grabbed her wrist. Jill simply tossed her a questioning look, waiting for her to go on with whatever it was.

"Hey, Jill, uhm… About what you said…" Rebecca asked meekly, slowly letting go of Jill's wrist. She looked off to the side, trying to consider how to word things.

"What is it Sweetie?" Jill asked, tilting her side slightly. Gabriel's feet sunk into the fabric of Jill's shoulder pads. He was wondering if it was worth it, until he looked over, and down.

_Huzzar_.

Jill gave a loud squeak from surprise, but managed to keep herself quiet so Jill could continue.

"It's just… I'm, kinda scared in a way. I love Billy… But I'm worried he's going to get sick of me." Rebecca admitted quietly. She spoke the truth, she adored the man. Jill shook her head, hearing the girl's worry. Now that was an irrational fear.

"Becca dear, I can tell you from what I've seen he loves you too. You really have nothing to w…" Jill began, but paused and gave a yelp.

"... Something wrong, Jill…?"

"Ugh, hold on for a second… I have to get a ferret out of my shirt." Jill mumbled, looking down at her chest. She pulled the neck of it forward with one hand, and slipped the other down her bra in an attempt to grab the intruding ferret. "Lil' bastard… That hurts, I'll have to get his claws cut."

"I feel kinda bad for him…" Rebecca said, looking away from the situation. Perhaps since they were the same gender, she wasn't fond of the thought of Jill basically fondling herself to find her pet.

"How the heck can you feel bad for him?" Jill asked, raising an eyebrow. She felt a brush of fur and grabbed, tugging out the wiggling adventurous ferret. Gabriel swung at the air, as best as a ferret could, and showed no sign of tiring out. He had been enjoying his 'digging'.

"I mean, he's male and all – He saw an opportunity and took it. Kinda have to give him props for that." Rebecca shrugged, attempting to justify her statement with a bit of trouble, "And I mean… It's you, I can't blame him and all."

Jill cocked her head to the opposite side this time, trying to decipher exactly what Rebecca had said. The last statement sounded a bit cryptic to her ears. She looked down, to her chest, then back to Rebecca.

"Hold on a second, are you trying to say…" She began, then showed off her smirk, "That you're jealous?"

Rebecca's cheeks puffed as she now tried to figure out a way to justify her defense against _that_. Jill couldn't help but laugh at how childlike Rebecca seemed to act without realizing it, coping a slight glare from Rebecca for it.

"Naww, don't worry Sweetie. I'm only a little bigger than you. Just wait a year or two, you'll catch up." Jill said, doing her best to stop smirking, but only managed a crooked smile instead as she still held the squirming Ferret with one hand.

"But then you'll be bigger, too…" Rebecca sighed, shaking her head.

"If god's kind to me, I'm done getting bigger. Unless I some how miraculously fall pregnant," Jill began, before pausing and muttering 'May god strike me down if I do', "I'm not going to grow any more."

"Please… Tell me you're talking about your feet, or weight, or something." Joseph called from the group of the others, at least those that hadn't left back for their desks.

"Breasts, Joseph." Jill stated, the smirk returning to her face as clear as day, "We're talking about our breasts."

"Breasts, you say?"

"Not now, Captain Wesker." Jill asked, turning her attention to the captain as he sat at his desk, earning a slap from Claire. Claire's courage seemed to take the man by surprise, and Jill quickly looked back to Rebecca as to not get involved.

"I should probably let you get back to sorting out your ferret." Rebecca nodded, sitting back on her chair. She didn't want to pester Miss Valentine any further. Jill just gave a simple nod, returning to her desk and placing Gabriel firmly on the desk.

Even as Jill did that, the conversation with Wesker and Claire, though now Steve rather seemed to pick back up with the addition of a furry component.

"That… Cat."

"What about my cat?"

"… It's got freaking tentacles coming out of it's mouth!"

"Yes, indeed it does. Oh, and he can fly, too."

"He w--- **Gah, my face!!!**"

"Wesker, stop making fun of Steve!" Claire snapped, making a grab for the feline that had attached itself to Steve's face after being thrown by Wesker.

"Oh, but dear, it's _so_ entertaining…"

"Stop being so jealous, Wesker." She huffed, managing to pry it off. Steve was quick to try and wipe the excess slime off of his face while making sounds to show his disgust.

"**J, Jealous?!**"

"Don't listen in, Chris!"

* * *

Brad slammed his fists against his desk, letting fly a string of loud curses as he stood up. He quickly slumped back down into his chair, sinking back against the cushioned support and groaned loudly.

"**What purpose does this even serve?!**" He shouted in frustration, coaxing Richard to walk over.

Taking a glance over Brad's shoulder, it was easy to see what had gotten his wires crossed. All things appeared to be in order – Documents were up, communication applications were on standby, and a game of solitaire remained unresolved in the corner.

However, everything was flipped vertically.

"Are you angry?" Richard asked, taking hold of the laptop's mouse and clicking into the start menu.

"Very!" Brad sulked, throwing his arms up in the air and nearly hitting Richard.

"That's its purpose." Richard shrugged. "Makes you wonder who would do it, rather."

"Oh, that was me, Richard." Joseph called, leaning back in his chair to get a better view of the men. He had a smug smirk on his face, appearing very arrogant now.

"You, sir, are something that's name I can't exactly think of yet so... I'll insult you later!" Brad snapped, simply sulking when he had nothing to suit the situation. He tried to slink further into his chair, but only managed to slip from the seat and wind up on the ground with a loud 'Thud'.

Brad mumbled unhappily, no longer having any real reason to get up from his spot. Hell, the carpet was comfier than his chair was at the moment.

There was a light scrapping sound from the top of his desks, as if something scratching over the wood directly above him. He did his best to look upwards, which really had no effect. He managed to ease himself up with his chair, finally taking a seat back down.

The discussions that had started with the others was swiftly interrupted.

"No, Gabriel, that's my laptop! That has my porn on it!!"

The others looked over at the screaming Brad, who made a desperate grab at the ferret who had slipped through the Laptop's strap and was seemingly stealing it away.

"No, you've got to get it back!" Chris slammed his fists on the table and stood up abruptly. Jill, having been sitting at his desk talking to him over a few files, nearly fell out of her chair.

"I'll grab him and hold him down, you get the laptop! I still need to get those files off of you!!" Chris sprinted off after the ferret, Brad doing his best to follow behind him.

Jill slumped over Chris' desk, mumbling under her breath. "He'd better invite me to watch those damn files with him…" She stated, not bothering to hush her voice after the mutters.

"Maybe he'll invite you to make some files with him." Rebecca whistled, having been listening in. She crossed her arms over Jill's back, putting her weight forward to deny Jill the possibility of rising up.

"Oh, are you hinting for me to ask if you can come along, too?" Jill asked, though her voice was muffled by the desk. She still smirked, even if it would go unseen.

"You're the one who wants Chris'---"

"Behave Rebecca, or I'll make sure the next outfit you're forced into is a nurses!" Wesker threatened.

Rebecca gave a loud squeak, and couldn't have gotten off Jill and back to her seat any faster than she had tried. Jill slowly pushed herself up to sitting position, remaining at Chris' desk. Despite both having the same type of desk, Chris' just felt more… More pleasant to the touch.

She looked over her shoulder, remembering the subject at hand. "Don't feel too bad Rebecca. At least you're not acting like a child."

"Speaking of children…" The voice of Barry pepped in cautiously as he watched Jill for any signs of annoyance,

"What exactly is it you have against children, Jill? Doesn't your last name supposedly carry some reference to love?"

"Love doesn't equal babies, Barry." Jill said, that annoyance Barry was careful of basically dripping from the edge of her voice, "Besides, have you ever seen the movie Rosemary's Baby?"

"Oh come on Jill, don't tell me you act specifically because of that movie." Barry shook his head, though was quite amused at the little reference Jill had made. "Honestly, what are the chances of you having the devil's child?"

"Considering this is Jill we're talking about, the likelihood is high."

"Your cruelty knows no bounds, Captain Wesker." Jill hissed, looking over to Wesker sitting quite comfortably at his desk. She looked just above him, grabbing a quick glance at the time. It was nearly time to leave – So no doubt Brad and Chris would return, with or without the laptop.

Claire and Steve had only left about twenty minutes ago, and it made Jill wonder if there were no soap operas on for Claire to watch. Must be a dry season for the genre, considering how often she came down.

Jill stood up from the seat and dusted herself off. She pushed it to the side, taking one more glimpse at the files before turning around.

"Oh! When did you get back, Redfield?"

Chris stood in front of her – Directly in front of her. It was amazing that she had had space to turn around. He didn't seem to be afraid to get close to her, that was for sure.

"Oh, I see what you're up to…"

Hadn't he forgotten about that one time? Well, _she_ hadn't forgotten her promise to punch him in the kidneys. So it was no surprise he hadn't forgotten about when she had pushed up against _him_, even if he wasn't dressed provocatively.

"What in the world are you still doing at my desk?" He quizzed, but kept all humour from his voice.

"Oh, I was just leaving." She said innocently, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Before she could take a step, however, she felt herself get pushed back, the bottom of her spin meeting the edge of the desk. Chris placed a hand on either side of Jill, pushing her down with his body. She put up very little rebuttal, and rested her back on the top of the desk. Somewhat awkward, with Chris hovering over her and all.

She was glad that this was just one of their little games they played every so often.

"Don't think you can get out of this that easily." He stated, The smirk plastered on his face showed the statement was more than anything said to brag about how easily he had gotten her down.

"Just because I was keeping your desk warm for you? You certainly are protective!" She chuckled. She knew exactly what was meant to happen next.

"Keeping my desk warm for me? I think not! I believe I have to teach you a lesson if that's the case." He scoffed. Yep, she was right – It was the same game they used to play a lot specifically to freak out Brad and Kenneth.

"My my, Mr. Redfield! Aren't you saucy today?" she exclaimed, feeling the man move her leg to the side and moving as close as possible. Both could hear Brad squeak and quickly leave as soon as he had walked back in with his laptop.

"Can't help but be when I'm lookin' at a pretty face like yours." Chris simply stated, leaning close to her face. Yep, it was exactly how Jill remembered it all happening, but… She was certainly enjoying it more this time around.

"Oh stop now good sir, you'll make me blush a frightful shade of red!" She chuckled, but turned away as her cheeks indeed flushed crimson from the compliment. She thanked god he had no way of telling how much her heartbeat had picked up.

"But Mi'lady, I might think that shade suits you beautifully."

Jill pushed his chest and laughed, but he simply chuckled and pushed his hips forward roughly.

"Oh, be gentle, Chris!" She was doing her best now not to burst out into laughter. It was the only thing other than that she could do to hold back from making her enjoyment of the situation vocal.

"I could have sworn you said you liked it hard and passionate, is that not what you said?" He asked, having as much trouble not laughing as Jill was.

"Oh, but I didn't know you'd figure out the difference between my crouch and my elbow!"

"You're never going to let me live it down, are you?"

"Never, baby." Jill smirked.

"You two! How many times have I announced not to fornicate while my camera isn't functioning?!" Wesker snapped, only stirring slight whines from the two. "There's no point teasing when we can only catch half a show."

"We're just messing around Captain, don't go nuts about it." Chris stated, taking a few steps back and allowing Jill to sit up properly on the desk once more. "We completely forgot the malfunctions in your recording appliance, sir."

"At least stop doing it so convincingly. Anyone out of the room wouldn't realise you still had clothes on…" Wesker muttered. He continued talking lowly to himself as he left.

Jill sat up on that table, slowly dusting herself off. She hopped off the table as Chris went to say something, before grabbing a few things off of her desk.

Chris had a quick glance around – It would seem everyone else had left, most likely because of the little act. Ah, it was always good to see that they could still get that response.

Jill left her things on the desk, realizing that Chris would be leaving before she could grab Gabriel as well. She just wanted to walk with him, for that little bit.

Their chat was short and brief down the stairs and to outside towards the cars and bikes.

_Ding ding!_

"I, I don't believe it!" Chris snorted. Jill quickly looked forward, trying to see just what Chris was ready to laugh about. And there she saw it, and her mouth hung open.

Chris grabbed his sides, doing his best not to start laughing – But that failed, and he could soon be heard from inside. "I don't believe it! Wesker rides a pink, a pink bike!!"

"You shouldn't laugh, Redfield." Wesker warned as he rode in front of the two, coming to a stop to address them.

"What… What could you _possibly_ say for this to not be funny?!" Chris laughed. His laughter was contagious, and Jill had to cover her own mouth so she didn't join in.

"Because this is a gift from you _sister_." Wesker stated. The simple statement made Chris stop suddenly, his mouth hung open just like Jill's had, "And it's everything you think it is. _And more_."

"You… You mean, when you and Claire went out to throw cats…?!" Chris began, but was soon cut off.

"Yes!" Wesker explained with a smirk, seeing the damage he had inflicted, "And away I go!"

_Ding Ding!_

And with that, he rode away. Jill looked at Chris, and soon was laughing at him instead of about Wesker's bike. "Chrisers, you know he totally just mind fucked you, right?" She asked though those damned giggles.

"You… You think so? … Really?" He asked, swallowing hard, but seeming somewhat relieved, "… He did a good job of it…!"

Jill gave Chris a pat on the back and shook her head, still chuckling. "Don't worry sugar, just go home and recover from it. You'll be right as rain, baby."

"If you think so." He nodded. His heart skipped slightly each time she used

those little pet names when talking to him. While his mind was mulling over that, Jill slipped her hand into one of Chris' vest pockets and took his cigarettes.

"Oi!"

"I'm just thinking of you." She said, taking them into her pants pocket with a smile. He shook his head and chuckled, knowing he would have to pick up another packet on the way home now.

The two bid each other goodbye, and Jill went back into the station to pick up Gabriel. On her second trip leaving the station, she stopped at a peculiar sight. Originally she had to do a double take, but she could have easily done a twelve take.

A nun stood at the corner of the station, leaning against the side of the building. Now, while nuns weren't all that uncommon, one taking a sip out of a beer bottle certainly was!

"S… Sister…?!"

The nun looked over to the dumbfounded Jill. Apparently a lot of people had been shocked by the nun and her habit, with no pun intended. Though, Jill; was the first one to react.

"Good afternoon, my child." The nun simply greeted, Jill snapping out of her trance until she continued, "Would you happen to have a cigarette?"

"Y… Yes, I would! S, Sister, you smoke?!" Jill stuttered, grabbing the packet she had taken off of Chris and handed it to her. Jill had no plans to smoke, so she may as well have given the whole box.

"And drink, too. Thank you." The none went on, taking out one of the cigarettes after she had taken another sip of the beer, and lit the tip. Jill was simply struck silent. "My child, take note that these are the sorts of things you should not be doing."

"But, then why are you, sister…?" Jill asked, suddenly hit with the irony of an occurrence from not too long ago.

The nun paused, thinking it over. "Because in all honesty… It's been a hard day." Once again she stopped, seeming to read past Jill's look. "Is there something the matter, my dear?"

Jill stood for a few moments, before giving a small nod. "… Yes… But it's not something to be worried about."

"It is going to take some time for me to get through this box. Why don't you let it off your chest?" The nun asked, coaxing the girl to speak up.

Jill took a seat on the pavement, though was quite ready to up and leave when the nun got tired of the story. "It's kinda… A relationship problem…"

"As is most." Said the nun, taking a puff of the cigarette, which still made Jill feel awkward, "Alright, so what's the run down of the situation?"

Jill scratched the back of her head, looking at her feet. Her lack of posture once more gave away her sudden lapse of confidence regarding the issue. "I introduced a friend of mine to another friend of mine, and they got together. They seem happy enough. The only problem is, I've been kind of…" She bit her lip, putting up a fight to speak the rest of the words, "Been _in love_ with him for awhile now. You know, same ol' Drama, same old."

"So which one of you is the slut?"

"Excuse me?" Jill quickly sat up straight, quirking an eyebrow as she looked at the nun. The nun simply took another puff of the cigarette before continuing.

"In situations like this there's always the slut. Is it you or the female friend of yours? You know, unless both of your friends are girls. Or both guys."

"Christ, I don't… Know…" Jill sighed, looking away once again. She had been feeling like one, with how her mind had been functioning.

"Alright, I'll make it much simpler for you. How many guys have _you_ slept with over the past three months?"

"Tttooooothrrrrrrfoooo, None." She answered, sighing loudly and hanging her head in shame.

"And her?"

"Five on last count. She has the astounding ability to go through men like paper towels."

"So you're the mind slut, and she's the physical slut?"

"Sounds about right."

"And that male friend of yours?" The nun inquired.

"He's a sweetheart. I doubt he sleeps around." Jill answered, shaking her head.

"Well by the sounds of it, just hang in there. If your male friend is _supposedly_ not one to sleep around, then that relationship shouldn't last all that long, for Christ's Sake."

"Sister!" Jill gasped, hearing the last part.

"Yeah yeah, don't give me that look."

"Some times I'm beginning to I should just join a covenant. Sounds like a whole lot less worrying." Jill sighed, standing up and dusting the dirt from her pants that had gathered at her arse. Dirty pavements, not fun.

"You probably wouldn't mind it there by the looks of you. There's a gym there and martial arts lessons."

"Sounds entertaining." Jill said, raising a hand to her chin. She would have to think that one over. She took a quick glance at her watch and cursed, "Thank you for listening Sister, I don't mean to be rude but I really have to get home!"

"Understandable, be on your way. And next time, try buying the light cigarettes."

"I'll tell him to."

* * *

/_Maybe she could do with some company…_/

He had been keeping her company a lot lately, that was true, but just a little more time… She couldn't be getting sick of him, could she? He hoped not. All he times he had visited her, she had been alone. On her own, in that apartment. Even with Gabriel as company now… The thought of her being lonely, it made his heart hurt. The thought of her being sad…

He shook his head. But was he intruding? She always had the option to kick him out, it was her apartment after all.

And in reality, he still had yet to meet that boyfriend of hers. He couldn't shake the urge to see what was so great about him. What made that Justin guy better than _him_? How it went against his character to be so spiteful, especially for something like this. But slowly the trickles of jealousy he had been feeling in recent times only seemed to increase, and he was finding it harder and harder to conceal his feelings for her.

But this would be the one thing he would do for himself – He didn't want to risk being heartbroken again. Of course, that would probably be justice. After all, he had been quick with Amy, as guilty as he felt about it. But why have dragged her on? He knew it was going nowhere. He wanted a _relationship_, not just the damn sex.

His thoughts wondered back to Jill. He couldn't help but admit he would do anything for her. It crushed him to realise this, considering… His chances were so slim. Nonexistent.

Surely he wasn't that bad of a guy, was he? Sure he was a jerk to people he didn't like, but he was kind – It was natural in his personality. He did whatever he could to help, he was a good guy.

But hell, he figured he couldn't hold a bar to this Justin guy. Not in relationship sense. He'd gotten Jill, after all, something Chris had always been a tad too skittish to even attempt after their first few meetings.

But a change of concept. He smiled. Ah, but, Jill and Chris did both live by that rule. Bros before Hoes, Chicks before Dicks. Though he had to wonder what the saying would be for them. Chicks before Hoes…? He shook his head, seeming renewed by the thought of it all.

In a way it meant he was better than this guy. Not in the way he wished, but… Knowing Jill, if it came down to it, she would take Chris' Friendship over this guy's supposed love. At least, he hoped so. He had done it for her, even if he tried to assure himself that wasn't part of the reason behind the break.

He cleared his throat, and walked to the stairs of the apartment building. He wished they would install an elevator already. Or that Jill would move somewhere more convent. Or she could always move in with him…

Dammit, no. Wishful thinking gets you no where, especially when there's no chance for it what so ever.

He stood outside her door now, ready to knock. However, just before his knuckles reached the wood, he heard something from behind the door. _Shouts_, and angry ones at that.

He slowly grabbed the doorknob and turned it quietly, taking a few steps in. The yelling was Jill, there was no doubt about that. After a few steps in, he jolted, hearing a loud smashing sound. What was he getting himself into? He wished he hadn't taken his green vest off – It might have given him some more protection rather than just his white STARS shirt.

Regardless.

He closed the door behind him and walked to the loungeroom. The way the apartment was set up meant that the loungeroom lead to the one bedroom and the room that was partly a kitchen. That room with the kitchen had a window, which lead to the street outside.

Jill was standing by that door, with Gabriel on her shoulder. There was a pile of assorted items beside her, ranging in size and shape. Mainly household things.

"**I already fucking told you! I know better than to fucking turn around and take you back!**"

Whether it was passion or fury, Chris couldn't help but feel his heart eat faster seeing that woman as wild as she acting. What could it have possibly been to make her so angry?

/_Wait, take who back? It couldn't be…_/

"Damn it, Jill! Please, just think for a moment! Calm down!!"

Chris cringed. The voice was male – Not as strong sounding as his own, but there was no mistaking the gender, or the desperation in that voice.

Jill grabbed a lamp from the pile and chucked it out of the window, another loud smash being heard as well as a curse being called, most likely the person having just avoided it.

"**Go to hell Justin, Just go to hell!!**" Jill shouted, her voice becoming hoarse as she grabbed something she gave no care for from the pile again. "I don't care… **I don't care that I seem like a bitch! I'd rather be on my god damn own than fucking wasting my time!!**"

"Oh, Jill…" Chris whispered quietly. This was obviously not something that had happened just _Now_.

Jill gave a loud, startled scream and turned around to face Chris. She had been shocked from her hot-blooded behaviour, and had been generally frightened. She visibly shook from the surprise.

"C… Chris! What are you doing here? How the hell did you get in here?!"

"I know it's not my place to tell you to calm down…" Chris said, raising his hands and motioning the statement, "I just wanted to come in to see how you were. Guess I came at the wrong time."

"N, no… Chris, now's not… Chris, thank you for caring to check up on me, but…" She began, unable to find her words to form the sentences to go on.

"Jill! What's going on up there?!" Justin called from below. Maybe she had cooled down? There were no more things being thrown…

"**It doesn't fucking concern you!!**" Jill snapped, grabbing a book from the pile and throwing it down, knocking him in the shoulder. "**Fuck, why don't I have any god damn sharp things to throw at that mug of yours?!**"

Chris just blinked a few times. Every time she had been angry at him, it didn't compare to this. Obviously, it had been a rough event. Was she heartbroken…? Suddenly he felt guilty, simply for the feelings he had towards her.

"Chris…" Jill's voice snapped him from his thoughts. He looked at her with a mixture of concern and sadness. She had turned to him again, her arms crossed over her stomach. She looked almost, awkward.

"What is it… Jill?" Chris asked quietly.

"… You want to stay for something to eat once I'm done with this?" Jill asked meekly as she moved one of her arms, grabbing another book and throwing it down once more, doing so without taking her eyes off Chris. There was a loud squeak, and Jill looked over her shoulder, which now wasn't occupied. "Oh, damn it Gabriel! He'll find his way up… **Justin, I swear to god, if you touch my ferret I will fucking slaughter you!**"

He shook his head, feeling a bit strange watching her snap between two apparent personas. "Nah, it looks like this might take you awhile, I wouldn't want to interrupt." He said, giving a farewell wave and turning for the door.

"What if I told you I had steak in the fridge just for such an occasions?" She asked, sounding a bit let down that he had turned the offer down.

"… Steak? What kind?"

"T-bone." She answered hopefully.

"… Well, I'm definitely in." He stated with a nod. She smiled slightly, even if it was only a small victory.

"Come back in an hour, alright? That should be enough time for me to finish up here." She informed him.

"I can do that." He smiled, and paused, "I'll get your ferret while I'm at it."

"T, thank you, Chris…"

* * *

/_Get the ferret first, take him with you. The little bastard he may be, Jill would be crushed if anything happened to him. Look after Jill first, which means gotta look after that little bastard first, too_./

Chris stood at the edge of street beside the apartment. He could hear Jill start up her yelling again, but it soon dimmed out – She must have one off to get more things. He could then hear Justin pick up the swearing.

He could move now, without the risk of the projectile hitting him instead of Justin. He moved quickly, towards the man that held onto the ferret that had unfortunately fallen out of the window. This wasn't the way he wanted to meet him – Hell, it seemed like it wouldn't have mattered if he hadn't at all.

Why hadn't Jill told him…? These were the sorts of things you told your best friends, wasn't it…?

"Excuse me! Sir!"

Justin looked over at the man calling to him. He had blood on his forehead from those spots where Jill had managed to cut and bruise him. It was kind of funny that he hadn't retreated yet – In his mind, he thought that if he endured it long enough, she would see what she had done and apologize for it, drag him inside… Try to make up for it. It was her fault, after all.

"What do you want?" Justin asked, spitting a bit of blood onto the pavement. Damn it, she had gotten a few good hits in, and that damn ferret…

Gabriel was fidgeting and twisting like crazy, making a real ruckus to try and get out of Justin's rough grip.

"That ferret, actually." Chris explained, "Could you pass him to me, please?"

"What do you want with the mongrel?" Justin asked, glaring at the creature in his hand.

"I need to bring it back to Jill." He answered.

"How do you know h…" Justin began, eyeing the man suspiciously. That guy… He seemed to have a near complete opposite appearance to his own. It was almost like the bloke put no effort into his appearance – The guy's hair was dark and messy, blue eyes in contrast to his own brown and certainly not dressed w---

"That's the STARS logo, isn't it?"

Chris nodded in answer, wondering what that could possibly have to do with the current situation. The emblem embodied on his shirt stood out against the white fabric.

"Hold on, you're that Chris, aren't you?" Justin asked, clenching his teeth and tightening his grip on Gabriel. The ferret gave a loud squeal.

"Hey, stop that, you're hurting the poor guy!" Chris took a step forward, raising his hand in a stopping motion. If Jill heard the creature make the noise… All hell would be let loose.

"Are you or fucking aren't you?" Justin snapped.

Chris hesitated for a moment, "Yeah, and so what if I am? Just give me the damn ferret!"

"You know, this is all your fucking fault, you know that? You son of a god damn bitch!" Justin snarled.

"The ferret, now." Chris stated. He didn't know what Justin was going on about, but he didn't really care. He took a few steps closer, standing in front of him.

"So I see you got your eyesight back." Justin stated, nearly bitterly. Chris gave a slight nod, the conversation rather… Uncomfortable for him.

"Guess you must be fucking happy." He went on with a harsh growl. "Ha, if it had been that bitch that was damn blind this whole fucking situation probably would never have happened!"

**THWARK**.

Chris gave the man a hard punch in the stomach, causing him to drop Gabriel. He didn't do it to get Gabriel, not this time – Just out of sheer anger. Did he just realise what he had said?

"Do you know what the fuck just came out of you mouth?!" Chris barked as Justin leaned over, holding his stomach and coughing. Chris clenched his fist, ignoring his mind telling him to calm down. "You need to watch your fucking mouth!"

He punched Justin's back, sending him to the ground. Chris always was good with physical fights, but when it was just one person throwing the punches… Well, he would probably feel bad for it later, but for now, he gave his morales no heed.

"You fucking prick! She loved you and you god damn left her all alone!"

**THWARK**.

Chris kicked the man on the ground in the ribs, before delivering one more. "I don't fucking know what happened between you, but don't god damn put all the blame on her you bastard!"

With that he turned, grabbing the squeaking Gabriel off the ground and walked off of the street. It was one of those few days where people were all inside stalls and houses, rather than out on the street.

The ungrateful son of a bitch, to say that about Jill Valentine. How _dare he._

* * *

"Hey, Jill, it's been an hour! Hope you don't mind!" Chris called from the apartment door. Gabriel slipped out of his hands, running off into one of the corners and disappearing. He could hear the soft sound of music coming from some where – A radio, perhaps? Perhaps she was chirpier, now.

"No, you have perfect timing! Just take a seat on the couch!" Jill called from the bedroom.

Chris took those few steps towards the couch. He looked down at the cushions, before to the doorway. He took a few more steps in that direction.

"Hey, I can hear you walking! Stay in the lounge room!" Jill called, seeming to demand it.

"Why?" He asked, taking a few steps towards her room. She should have known by now he was unlikely to obey such an order.

"Because I'm getting _changed_." She answered loudly and sternly.

"… So you're naked…?"

"Pfft, No! Can't you hear it? I've got the radio on!"

"Alright, alright, I won't go any further."

Chris Redfield was a convincing liar. Despite knowing that he would get his arse firmly kicked if he were caught, he still took those few closing steps towards the door of her bedroom. The door was opened a fraction, just enough for him to peek in while not being seen. And peek in was just what he did.

What Jill had stated was very true – And not true in another sense. She had the radio on, yes. But absolutely nothing else. Chris had to put in a fair amount of effort not to make a sound as Jill leant down to snatch a bra off of her bed. He couldn't have thanked god for a better angle.

He quickly moved away from the door, taking wild guesses as what would happen if he didn't. He quickly grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and held it against his nose – It was white once, but now it was steadily being dyed a deep shade of red.

Chris swiftly walked back to the lounge room to leave his idol of affection change in peace. Plus, she would probably make sure he could never have children if she were to catch him.

'_Dook dook dook dook dook…_'

Chris looked to the side, seeing his all too familiar, sable furred rival. "Ah, so we meet again… Back so soon?"

'_Dook dook dook dook dook…_'

"… The hell are you doing?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow at the young ferret. After a moment of hesitation, he picked Gabriel up by the scruff. Apparently, the mammal in his hand wasn't too pleased with this. He gave a loud hiss, curving his body to Scratch Chris' arm, and nearly successfully nipping his fingers. However, Chris immediately dropped him back on the couch, and the previous sound continued once more.

'_Dook dook dook dook dook…'_

"Alright, now you're just confusing me…" he narrowed his eyes at the ferret, who by now had gotten up and was walking on the cushion in awkward circles. Gabriel jumped off as soon as Chris looked up to the door to Jill's bedroom, hearing it open.

The radio had been left on, clearly a CD playing. It was a little known fact mainly to Chris that Jill wasn't a fan of the mainstream music being played lately.

Jill left the door open so the music could flood out, which just seemed to capture Chris more as she walked over towards him. It was quite a change from her work attire, that was a for sure.

A blue headband was pushed against her hair in a vain attempt to keep it from her eyes, which had been so much easier to tame when it was long. Chris could tell that.

The shirt she wore was cotton, a V-neck with a tie under the bust. The shirt itself was a bit short at the bottom, showing off a small bit of her stomach. She had a white cardigan over it, leaving the buttons undone so it still showed her shirt and stomach. She had just thrown on some denim jeans after that, and slipped on a pair of runners.

For most people it would be quite casual attire, but considering it was Jill… It was a little more than what one would usually get from her when it wasn't her work attire.

"Why were you getting changed, anyway?" Chris asked after taking a few minutes to admire her. He wondered why she always just looked gorgeous to him, in whatever the hell she happened to wear.

Except maybe Orange. That definitely wasn't her colour.

"Well… After you left, I got a bit… Bloody." Jill began to explain, but Chris stepped in before she could continue.

"Do I have to fucking---" He asked, clenching his fist. Hadn't the beat down been enough?

"No Chris, don't get so worked up." She said, raising her hands to calm him down, "I just cut my hand, that's all." She held her left hand out to him. It was bandaged up, and the red strain in the middle confirmed her statement. She must had dropped a glass and tried to pick it up or something. It was never fun slicing you hand open like she clearly had.

"Naw, poor Jilly." He took hold of her hand, and gave her palm a quick kiss. She flushed a deep red, for the uncountable number of times, and looked away. She didn't pull her hand away.

"Do you want a drink?" She asked him quietly, trying to look towards the kitchen.

"No thank you." He answered, shaking his head and gently letting go of her injured hand.

"… Can I have a conversation starter then?" She asked, still looking away from him. She brought her hand to her chest, seeming awkward once again.

"Knock yourself out." He shrugged with a smile. Why was she asking him something like that?

"I'm gonna try!" She chuckled, heading off to the kitchen. He laughed slightly as he sat down on the couch. He pushed the coffee table in front of it a bit further, trying to make more space for his legs. He took another glance to the side, seeing Gabriel standing on the couch's arm, on his back legs. He simply pointed at the ferret, gave him a warning look, and the little furball sped away.

"That's a good boy."

There was the sound of classes clinking together softly, the fridge opening and closing soon after. Soon enough Jill returned, and despite Chris' decline of the offer, came back with two drinks. She sat down beside Chris on the couch, placing his drink on the coffee table and not worrying about those damn coasters. She had thrown those out of the window too, come to think of it… Was it just her, or did she have to reach further to reach the table.

"Cheers." She smiled, raising her glass to Chris. Before she could bring the glass to her lips, Chris took hold of the hand she held it with and brought it to his own, taking a sip of the Whiskey that filled it. A bit of a surprise, that one was.

"Hey! You little thief!" She laughed, tugging her hand back. She was lucky the liquid didn't splash, to she could have been in trouble.

He smirked at the title and scooted a bit away as she attempted to whack him upside the head. She pouted when he didn't scoot back, despite her not making any more attempts to assault him.

"Hey, you." Jill put one hand on Chris's leg, and motioned 'come here' with the other. He looked at her curiously, before she went on. "Come closer, my darling… I'll violate you in the most _sensual_ of ways."

"Am I meant to be taking you seriously right now?" Christ laughed, lifting his legs onto the couch. Jill had to move rather awkwardly, and wound up somewhat on top of him, though with limited contact.

"No." She answered, but her smile was devilish, "After all, there's not many ways of actually violating you. And it being sensual in those few ways that do exist."

"Maybe you're just not trying hard enough." Chris chuckled, pinching Jill's ribs while he had a chance. She quickly slapped his hand in return.

"Maybe you're just into the kinky shit." She stated with a chuckle.

A bit of her hair fell past the headband, much to her annoyance. She balanced on one hand, as both had been placed either side of Chris on the couch as he lied down, flicking the hair behind her ear like she was doing so often.

Whilst she did this, Gabriel had crawled up the chair arm. He wasn't pleased – In his opinion, Chris was getting awfully cuddly with Jill. And he had vowed to not let anyone hurt her again. He gave a quick his, and bit Chris ear.

This caused Chris to swear loudly, and move his arm – Which in turn nudged Jill's from the couch, and caused her to fall onto of him rather than remain hovering above him that fraction.

It had been completely accidental, completely unforeseen by both of them. But it had happened.

The result was a soft kiss from both parties. There had been no warning for there to be any lust or passion put into it… All that was there was simply a subtle hint of love from both of them.

Gabriel had run off, his plan completely backfiring. Dammit, what had he done? Oh boy.

Still, both Chris and Jill remained. Both were wide eyed, surprised- And too afraid of the other's reaction to close their eyes and enjoy the little accident. Little accident? That made it sound more like Chris had gotten lucky and forgotten a certain something.

Of course that wasn't it at all. To most, it was nothing big. But of course, to both lovesick partners, it felt like everything. Both's hearts were beating so fast that they couldn't notice the other's mutual feelings for the other.

Jill managed to lift herself off of Chris after what had felt like hours, but was really only two minutes. For the third or so time that day, se was shaking, and this time Chris could feel it rather than just see it. They remained silent for another minute, before Jill managed to find her voice.

"Y… You know I wasn't serious about violating you Chris! I, I slipped!!" She quickly said, unable to find the desire to move completely off of him.

Chris chuckled awkwardly, taking a moment to reply, purely because he didn't want to stutter as much as Jill. "A-Accidental violation? That's a new one!

Jill joined in his awkward chuckle, and the two looked away from each other, red staining their skin. Chris thought he was going to have a heart attack, with the rate his heart was going after that.

"Oi..." Jill cautiously pepped up. "… You're drooling."

"Oh?" chris asked, blinking. How embarrassing, he hadn't noticed.

She hummed a simple 'ya hum', and leaned down close to him again. The red on his face seemed like it would turn to maroon and licked the saliva from the corner of his mouth. It seemed like a pretty irrelevant, teasing action rather than a useful one.

"Now that's just down right disgusting!" He laughed, doing his best not to get anymore worked up. She really wasn't helping the situation.

"I thought you'd think so." She laughed loudly, sitting up, though still resting on him. She was trying to play it off as a joke. She prayed he would buy it.

Chris cleared his through, catching Jill's immediate attention. "Jill… You need to remember something…" He began, his voice catching slightly.

"And what's that?" Jill asked, trying to keep her own voice under control, as well as cool down her face.

"I'm a man, Jill." He stated sternly, closing his eyes to try and stop his own blushing.

"… And?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. "I already knew _that_."

"P… Please, d, don't sit on my c, crouch…" He eventually choked, and didn't notice that some time during the accidental kiss her had slipped his hand onto her hip.

"O, oh!" Jill gasped, visibly panicked this time. "I, I'm s-sorry, Chris!!" She quickly tried to get off her, stumbling over her own legs, then his, but some how needed up on the other edge of the couch. Chris sat up, debating whether he would need a pillow to hold over his lap or not. Thankfully, it was apparent that he didn't.

"I'm really sorry!" She apologized again, placing her hand over her face, desperately trying to hide the blush that still remained on her face. She just couldn't seem to forget that heat, or that taste. That damned nicotine taste.

The two stayed silent for a few moments, before Jill once more spoke up.

"Chris… I'm sorry, you had to see that earlier, I really am…" She said quietly, hoping deep down that he had caught all of what she had said.

"… Why didn't you tell me…?" He asked in return, just as quiet.

"I… I, I don't know…" She whimpered, even quieter than the last two things said, "I'm sorry…"

"It's alright." He soothed quietly, and shook his head. "You were like a tiger trapped inside of a cage, Jill…" Jill hesitated, looking away from him.

"What's that meant to mean, Chris?" She asked, shifting awkwardly on the couch. Chris shook his head.

"Don't worry about it Jill." He said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked back to him, giving a slightly hesitant smile, before looking towards the blank TV. Chris moved his hand from her shoulder, looking away from her. "You deserved so much more than him…" He said quietly to himself.

"Hmm?" Jill pepped up, cautiously looked over at him once more. She slipped her hand over his gently, coaxing him to look back at her. He smiled, not really quite positive with what he wanted to say.

/_I know I should move my hand now… Ahem, Hand, move!_/

"I said don't worry, remember?" He asked gently, moving his hand from under hers and instead placing it over hers, weaving his fingers through hers. No matter how much their minds denied their feelings, their bodies had long ago accepted how they felt for one another.

Hold on. Why was he acting like this? She'd gotten rid of him… Had finally gotten rid of him, so Chris was free to act. Right? But… What was he meant to say 'Hey Jill, I've gotten rid of Amy too, so since you just got rid of Justin, what's say we fuck~?'. No matter how endearing he may have been able to make that sound, he knew, now was too soon, too sudden and… She didn't know about his break with Amy.

"Hey, Chris..." Jill started softly.

"Hm?"

"Let's make love."

"E… Excuse me…?!" Chris choked and started sweating. Had she just…?!

"Hey, calm down." She laughed with a broad smile. "I was just kidding! Don't get so worked up, Chrisers!"

Chris simply stared at her in disbelief. It unnerved her until he slowly looked away, still looking just as shaken as she had all of those times today. "… Dangit, don't do that, ya bitch!"

"Oh shush, you whore." Jill chuckled, giving him an apologetic kiss on the cheek. The man's face flushed again, feeling that cursed heart of his do somersaults. "You're a strange one, Chris."

She looked back to the blank TV as well. She hated herself for even thinking about what she had said in a non-joking matter. But she had said it jokingly… If only she had meant it jokingly, too. What was she thinking?

She rested her head on his shoulder, snuggling up to him as best as she could from that angle. "Why don't you turn the TV on?" She asked, pointing with her free hand to the remote. He hesitatingly picked it up, the TV turning on with a flash.

Jill looked up at him, noticing the tinge of pink still lingering on his face. Had she really fussed him so much? The poor guy, having to put up with her.

She just couldn't shake the feeling that she loved that man.


	24. Come Close

A/N;

Whoa. Whoa. The fic isn't dead. Really. I have full intention on finishing this bitch, I swear it. I've come this far after all ._.

You'll have to excuse me… This is sort of a filler chapter? It's not the one I've been working on, don't worry – You haven't been duped out of a chunky chapter haha. This is just a part of it I really wanted to include but well, it would delay the next chapter even more and probably wouldn't work quite as well.

I'm sorry ;A;? Hopefully you all haven't abandoned me just yet. I'm sorry the updates have taken me so much longer, I remember I used to update this fic daily… Sorry that's no longer the case. If you look back at the earlier chapters and back to the last few, I think you can see why. My style has unfortunately gotten more complex, which stretches things out quite a bit. I've actually re-written most of chapter one, but I wanted to update before that since well… Yeah.

If you want to thank anyone for making me get back to work on Je M'en, or my fics in general, go show Ditto9 some love.

And I managed to get this up JUST before going to bed for my first day of year 12. Wish me luck survivng. I apologize for any typos, I'll attend to them as soon as I can, swear (And sorry for not replying to reviews! I still really, really, REALLY love reviews and they make my heart skip a beat when I know I have one ;A;)

Oh, and as **Gaylien-sparkles **pointed out, I should mention.... Jaffas are balls of chocolates (About the size of maltesers) That are coated in a thin, orange flavoured candy outting. They are delicious, and hurt when they hit you 8D Arm yourself with this knowledge! Apparently that aren't sold many places other than in Australia and New Zealand XD Sorry.

Resident Evil belongs to Capcom. Come Close Lyrics belong to Saosin.

* * *

_**  
When you notice yourself as something more than just a reflection you'll see…**__**  
It's not me. I guess I'm trying to say, I know it's not love, but… I've been trying to let you know. **_

"_Why do we have to sort this out?"_

"_Because most of the RPD are too lazy or freaking out about their cold coffee?"_

_Jill growled lowly, finding no humour in Chris' joke – As true as it was. That day just so happened to be one of those days where her sense of humour appeared non-existent. This quite naturally dampened Chris mood whenever this timeframes would roll around, and they had been frequenting more often lately._

_Some days he could joke with his best friend, some days he'd be better sawing his own hand off. He was beginning to think she had a split personality disorder or something similar. But as usual, he would simply wait it out and nudge her about it later._

_He knew within an hour or so she'd be able to join in the mockery, it was just a matter of him waiting it out._

"_So what's this all about?"_

"_You didn't listen?"_

_Jill shot him a glare, the man simply grinning at her annoyance. She wondered why he tempted fate with her so much – Other than the fact that he could easily get away with it when she were in slightly better moods. _

"_Alright fine," He finally relented after locking his gaze with her for some time. "There's some party going on and the officers wanted us to go in first to get a certain fella in there."_

_Jill's mind clicked over and she quickly realised just who the 'fella' was. Daniel Hayward if memory called correctly. Normally a guy like him wouldn't be anything the RPD couldn't handle, but a few of their officers had been taken by surprise by him a couple of times before, and weren't going to risk their egos being harmed again. Jill remembered Kevin Ryman muttering a poor excuse for his black eye that linked to Danny boy._

_And he certainly seemed sore when both Jill and Chris had chorused in laughter at the whole thing. That's probably why they were dragged into it now._

_Daniel Hayward wasn't exactly 'out of the ordinary' when it came to police records. Nothing so foul as murder or abuse. Though he did seem fond of drugs – Dealing them more than doing them, and showed little concern for the people he passed the dangerous narcotics to. That was why getting this solved at a teenage party would be something of a message._

"_That why the police car's tailing us?"_

_Chris nodded. "Yep. Go in, disarm him if we need to, take him out and throw him in the car."_

"_And do a sweep?"_

"_We wouldn't be professionals if we didn't."_

_Jill patted the side of her leg as Chris turned a corner, smirking as she felt the shape of her taser ready and rearing to be given a good use. Mr. Zappy hadn't been called on in some time and Jill was just begging to show off his fire works again._

* * *

"_You fucking arse hole!"_

_Lovely language Danny appeared to have, both STARS members mentally noted. It had all gone down quickly, curse words all the way. Maybe he was just quite pissed about being apprehended, especially when being lead out by the female officer. His barks were directed at Chris who strolled quite happily in front of him, hands in his pockets and wearing a smug grin on his face._

_He and Jill may have been spoiling some fun, but he no doubt had some more fans after the small brawl, and that flash of his smile. He couldn't help but wonder if he would be brought up in all of the high school chitter chatter the next day, even if it were only the far later years of the local school that had been attending the shindig. _

_His partner seemed more than happy to just kept Daniel restrained, which was particularly easy. She was rather down from not being able to give Mr. Zappy a retrial, but she assured the small appliance that he would have his time to shine next time. Naturally, the dealer in her grasp had been wondering about the sanity of his captors._

_He snarled, giving another desperate flail of his body in an attempt to get out from Jill's grip. "You fucking slut, suck my dick!"_

_Jill didn't need any more reason to hurt the man, forcefully slamming him into a wall with quite a bit of power, chipping one of his front teeth. Miss Valentine's strength was something few people took into considerations, especially criminals that were hoping to strike a nerve. "I was told never to put small things in my mouth – They're choking hazards." She hissed with a hint of triumph in her voice._

_She could pick up the sounds of Chris in hysterics, no doubt from the stupidity of Daniel saying that to Jill rather than Jill's rebuttal itself. She couldn't help but smile slightly – Entertaining on the job was a real bonus, especially when girls around appeared to be taking notes on not taking any shit._

_A rather hesitant Kevin was the one who threw Mr. Hayward into the back of the van, after some rebuttal and a fist or two thrown. With that out of the way, Chris dusted his hands and walked back to the building in question, just to check the main room where the 'arrest' had been made, in case there was anything they could use for extra charges. Jill followed swiftly after, but soon wished she hadn't._

_Adolescence men. Just boys, really. Great. Yes, she was only in her early twenties, but with the attitudes most showed she was allowed to think like that of their age group. She had only taken a few steps in when she had to raise a hand, hushing a boy before he could even attempt a form of conversation with the figure of authority._

"_Don't even try it, bucko. I'm not in the mood." She huffed, turning to her side as she continued to walk, slinking around him to avoid any contact she could have made with him. She could hear Chris chuckle in front of her and made a mental note to make him pay for it when they got back to the station._

"_N'aw come ooooon…"_

_She glanced at him, seeming to be the maximum amount of attention she was willing to give him. He wasn't dressed impressively, but he appeared to be one of the player types within his school. Typical. She always got stuck with them. "No, piss off, Kid."_

"_Aw, don't be so cold to me; you're too __**hot**__ for that."_

_Jill grimaced, fight the urge to slam the youngster into a wall in a similar fashion to Danny. "No. No, I will not give you my number," She stopped mid stride as she spun to look the guy square in the eye, Chris halting only a few steps ahead of her. "No, I don't want to give you mine. No, I don't want to meet you somewhere, I don't want to go out with you and I don't want any of your time."_

_She just wanted to do her job and apologize to Chris for being a sourpuss on the trip up to the scene. The boy went to say something, most likely try to rebuttal her comments, but she quickly decided to dish out a little bit more since he hadn't gotten the hint._

"_Because all you're going to do is waste it. Pick up another bottle of whiskey or something and down it," She gestured to the living room, idly waving her hand towards a few of the alcohol bottles sprawled out on a coffee table, "If you get drunk enough and pass out, maybe someone will think you're passable." _

_He was taken back a quite a bit, but he quickly recovered, much to Jill's dismay. Couldn't bring these guys down no matter how true your words were. "That's real harsh babe, if you just gave me a chance, maybe half an hour if you know what I mean…"_

"_Dude." Chris' voice sounded exhausted as he turned to look at the two, cracking his knuckles and offering a non-too-pleased glare. "Stop hitting on my girlfriend, would you? Otherwise I'm going to go pat-down Danny Boy out there and jam whatever drugs I find down your throat. And when you're choking, I'll shove what's left in other orifices."_

_Not giving him a chance to rebuttal, Chris grabbed both of the guy's shoulder, pushing him up against a wall – Different to how Jill did, as he had the upper body strength to lift the guy's feet off the ground._

"_And if you ain't in hospital by then, you don't want to fucking know what I'm going to do to your sorry arse." With his action, Chris voice had turned to more of a vicious snarl, leaving Jill herself to wonder if it was put on or had some sort of truth behind it._

_Chris released his grip, the teen dropping to the ground with weak legs._

_**That**__ some how seemed to prove as an efficient enough threat, the young man partly apologizing under his breath and slinking back over to his mates, who were having a hard time not cracking up._

"_You know if he was smart he could file a charge against you," Jill whispered quietly to Chris, sticking close to his side so she need not raise her voice. "But thanks Chrissy, took you long enough."_

"_Sorry, I wanted to watch you squirm." He grinned as he began walking once again, his partner once more following, "Swear, they're just getting more and more guts."_

"_Don't remind me." _

"_Who do you loveee~?" He teased Jill in a joking manner, nudging her as they reached the room of their destination._

"_Kevin's kinda hot." She shrugged, unable to fight a smile that appeared soon after, catching Chris completely off guard._

"_W…"_

"_Kidding, kidding." She smirked, her spirit some how lifted compared to earlier, "Sorry, I wanted to watch you squirm. Don't need you beating the shit out of poor Kev."_

_Playing those sorts of games always prodded something within Chris, and Jill always had fun watching. Male Jealousy, that's all it was, but he need not feel bad. She wasn't too keen on giving herself to any man, not just Chris – Not that he dropped any hints that panned out to be anything other than jests._

_The whole thing had gone quite quickly. They reported a few things to the officers outside, a bit too tired to have to deal with it themselves, and were getting ready to be on their way. Chris, however, seemed somewhat tense. Jill caught onto this quite quickly, and Chris caught her catching onto it… And to avoid a paradox, he offered her a small smile, before continuing on. "I'm going to do a round up about the house just in case."_

_She cocked her head to the side, registering the information. She nodded after a moment, shrugging as an answer as he headed back inside. She could at least warm up the car._

_She shoved a hand in her pocket, feeling around for a spare set of keys. She knew she had them in there, somewhere – Always a back up. Chris had a habit of locking his keys in the cars, after all, and to save money on buying new locks or windows, spares were made._

_As she fumbled around for the set, her ears picked up the sound of a car pulling up. She glanced towards it, recognizing it as not one of the police cars, marked or unmarked. She hoped that nothing further was going to develop, this whole thing was case closed in her books. The last thing they needed was for a new player to enter the field._

_She abandoned her search for the keys and stalked over towards the car as it's owner got out, heading towards the building. Blonde hair, brown eyes, just a few years older than her… Cute. She cleared her throat, grabbing his attention._

"_I'm sorry sir, but I don't advice going in there at the moment." She stated, quite stern with her speech, "It has been classified as a crime scene. Interviews need to be taken at the moment."_

_She saw him frown as she said this, not at all sure how to respond to her sudden, but very clear orders. He sighed deeply, quickly working the situation before speaking._

"_I'm here to pick up my cousin." He looked at Jill, waiting for her to bark something at him. However, she appeared to be listening, a clear 'Well, go on' sort of expression present on her features. He licked his lips, which had gone dry from the worried ride down to the building, "… She called me when she said there was some sort of a bust. She was freaking out a little bit, so..."_

"_One of our officers is in there at the moment, she's in good hands." Jill explained, though some how found some sort of irony in the statement. Real good hands, she bet – Thankfully Redfield seemed to have more respect for others than the teenagers within the residence did. At least the ones with the balls to try and voice it._

_The man ran a hand through his hair, not looking too comfortable. He had to hope she was right there, otherwise he would never hear the end of it. He tossed his glance back to the female officer, thinking something over for a moment._

_Hey, why not? Like he had anything to lose._

_Clearly he hadn't eyed the heat Jill was packing._

"_Hey… Miss---"_

"_Miss Valentine." Jill snapped sternly, "Officer, Valentine." Hadn't she dealt with enough for one night already? Really, unless this man was convincing he stood as much chance as an ice cube in hell._

_He gave a smile which made her flinch somewhat – Not the boyish sort Chris was always throwing around, but more of a gentlemanly smile. Not something one saw every day._

"_Well, Miss is a good sign so far, Officer."_

_Jill sighed audibly, doing so just to try and knock him off his game. She raised her hands, giving him a slight glare. "Listen, I just finished buffing off some arsehole in there. I really don't think tonight is 'Hit On Officer Valentine While She Has A Gun And Taser Night', honey."_

"_I haven't even asked anything just yet, Officer." He smiled warmly, causing Jill to cringe. She once again went silent, giving him an opportunity to speak. "Listen, I bet you can already tell that I'm not in any way similar to those… Well, hooligans who unfortunately keep my younger cousin company."_

_Jill allowed herself to mull over what had been stated, but still held the stern, not very pleased look that left little to be expressed._

"_So what's the harm in, perhaps, giving the phone number of a man who's been smitten by you?" He continued, some how managing a slight blush from the woman. She looked the side, crossing her arms under her chest. This time, she was thinking about it more seriously, though with a small prang of emotion in heart. Yes, she had been complimented quite often, that was true, but never were they worded so nicely, or as said earlier, not as a joke._

_She breathed in deeply, uncrossing her arms and dipping her hands into her pockets again. Her fingers ran passed the key she had been looking for earlier, grabbing a scrap of paper and pen she usually carried just in case. Some how she managed to juggle the items, scribbling the requested number down and passing it to him while trying to restore an emotionless expression._

_He was about to thank her as when Chris finally exited the building, shoving a few things into his pockets – No doubt just some notes – And dusted off his hands. He glanced at the two, somewhat curiously, slapping Jill's lower back as he went past towards the car._

_Jill jolted slightly, but was happy he was smart enough to aim higher than her arse. It was good to see some intelligence in him._

"_My name's Justin…" The man finally introduced, glaring at Chris' back rather than looking towards Jill. There was a hidden spite in his gaze that Jill hadn't picked up on, nor had Chris realised the daggers being thrown his way in the glare. "What I don't understand is, Officer Valentine… How someone beautiful like you could be with a man like that."_

"_I'm not." Her voice became somewhat bitter at the insult of her friend, "He's a good man."_

_One strike against him, and with that, Jill trekked after her partner, hoping into the passenger's side and giving a smile at Chris' questioning look as she buckled herself in._

* * *

"_I need to change that damn ringtone…"_

_Jill had never meant those words anymore than she did at that moment as she patted around for her phone, the annoying electronic track playing from the small little speakers built into it. If it was metallic sounding it might have been bearable, but it was contently blasting out some sort of techno-like music Joseph seemed quite attached to._

_She still had yet to figure out who had broken into her phone – Knowing them, it was probably one of the three amigos – Chris, Joseph or Forest, with the help or blackmail of Brad._

_The things they did at work when they were bored amazed everyone within walking distance of them. The smart alecs had gone ahead and deleted anything else she could assign as her ringtone. She was going to have to ring their necks._

_After much searching of her couch, she managed to find the communication device, answering it somewhat bitterly. "Hello, Jill Valentine's phone."_

"_Ah, so Officer Valentine __**does**__ have a first name!" The voice on the other line chuckled, catching her by surprise but telling her straight away whom had decided to bother her that lazy afternoon. "I do so hope you remember me."_

"_Sadly." She stated, though quickly covered her mouth when she realised this guy might not be near as humourful as Chris was when it came to her rebuttals. "Oh, right… Sorry, what can I do for you… Uh, Justin?"_

"_How's about a date?"_

_Well. Better to get it over and done with._

* * *

_To her surprise the whole thing was rather…. Enjoyable, but she wasn't about to let it go to her head. A nice car ride, walk under the street lights, a nice dinner… A bit better than what people tried these days, but nothing that managed to sweep Jill off her feet. Perhaps she was just a little stubborn, or reluctant about all of it. More so, it could have been because he had organized it for about an hour after the initial phone call._

_Whatever the reason may have been, Jill seemed a little less than enthusiastic when it came to the awkward farewells that always followed. The two stood outside of her apartment, her door open and key still hanging from the lock. Nothing had been said between the two, the tradition feeling being hesitant._

"… _Well, I hope you had a good night…" It was all Justin could manage to work up, despite being quite talkative throughout the night. Jill nodded somewhat, replying simply that she had._

_He took a deep breath, leaning forward to give her a kiss on the cheek when she wasn't paying attention. She quickly pulled away, noticing the embarrassed look on his face._

"_Sorry," She apologized quickly, though seemed to only mean half of it, "Well… If you ever feel up for it again, give me a ring."_

_She quickly closed the door before he could reply, unsure of why her actions seemed more rash than usual._

* * *

_And sure enough, a second request of her company was made. The second date rolled around in rather quick succession to the last, about a week or two after the first. However the timing was somewhat regrettable, Jill having to turn down a request from some of the guys. A new movie had come out, and the guys want to go and bash the hell out of it. Whatever the movie was, it was something they had been joking about for some time._

_From what she could gather, it was most likely one of those ones that was turned from a good book into a horrible movie – Or from a horrible book to a horrible movie, she hadn't paid attention to the title._

_Either way, she couldn't ignore the irony when she found out Justin's plan for the night – A Movie. When she had laughed at this, he couldn't figure out why. It was a little joke for her, and he wouldn't know. After all, how would he react to meeting the people that were like older brothers to her?_

_Ah, no, the chance of actually being at the same cinema at the same time was quite minimal to say the least. There was a surprising amount of cinemas in raccoon city, all varying in quality. She wondered in the back of her mind if he would whimp out when it came to the pricing or not, but from what she had seen from him so far, she didn't think that likely._

_And she would be correct. Just the right place had been chosen, but the man was keeping the movie as a surprise. She simply hoped that he could gather her tastes, but she didn't hold out much hope. It was quite peculiar. _

"_Cinema Six, is that okay?"_

_She nodded, offering a small smile. She was softening on him, she couldn't deny that. "As long as there aren't any stairs involved, then I'm quite happy with whatever number it is."_

"_And if it does?"_

"_You're carrying me." She answered simply, earning a smile back._

"_That's fine by me." He stated. In all honesty she expected something along the lines off 'I'll throw my back out carrying you', but knew that was certainly more of a Redfield remark, not a gentleman's remark._

"_Is there anything I can get you before we go in?" He asked, gesturing to the snack bar. She barely took a glance, not registering the lines or the people there, which there seemed few of. She shook her head, raising her hand._

"_It would take me a long time to choose, why don't you go in, find us some seats, and I'll follow after I have a drink or something?" She recommends, receiving a reluctant nod from her date._

"_Alright, but make sure it's a big drink."_

"_Cheeky, cheeky."_

_He left for the sixth cinema, which was thankfully on the first floor. He didn't really want to carry Ms. Valentine after all. She couldn't help but keep smiling, until there was the sound of a ruckus at the snack bar. She quickly turned, covering her eyes._

_When it came to STARS, there was very little to do with chance. Of COURSE they were at this cinema! Where else would they go? They always seemed to follow her, intentionally or otherwise._

_It would seem one of the guys had spilled something, either a drink or popcorn and it hadn't gone down so well with the person in the next line. From the sound of the voice, it sounded like it was Forest, with Chris trying to back him up – Failing miserably at that._

_Maybe if she just kept covering her face or walked away now, they wouldn't notice---_

"_Jill!!"_

_--- Of course they would notice. They were her family. And she wouldn't have it any other way no matter how embarrassing they were in public. Actually, come to think of it, if she had gone with them instead of Justin, she no doubt would have been at the girl's throats for accusing Forest of whatever it was._

_There would always be a next time._

_With the knowledge of their friend in the cinema, the excitement of arguing with some randoms seemed less… Well, entertaining, and before she knew it Jill was back to being surrounded by the same amount of testosterone she was used to._

_The night had just begun and there was already a mass amount of popcorn in Forest's hair. Chris was rather the usual as were Richard and Kenneth… Barry was still apologizing to the girls, and Joseph was…_

"_Holy… You're not wearing your bandana!" She gasped, the shock quite genuine as she covered her mouth_

"_Shush, please don't call me out about it!" He hushed loudly, begging her to keep her voice down about it. He quickly threw his arm in the direction of Forest, pointing at him accusingly, "This prick over here set it on fire!"_

"_It was an accident!" Forest stated loudly, throwing his arms in the air and sending a few bits of popcorn flying._

"_How do you set a guy's bandana on fire by accident?" Jill asked, raising a brow in Forest's direction._

"_That's what I want to know!" Joseph barked, seeming to ignite his distress about his bandana all over again. Jill shook her head, taking off the light blue hat she had been wearing and put it on Joseph's head as a temporary replacement._

"_Ahem, moving on before these two get in a brawl and Forest's __**hair**__ gets set on fire, what are you doing here, Jill?" Chris asked, knowing that it would take a distraction as well as a hat to actually get Joseph to calm down about it again._

_Her hands were behind her back, a slightly sheepish smile on her face. The other looked at her suspiciously now, reminded of her earlier decline. She hadn't said anything as to what her reason was, and now they were awfully curious._

"_I'm here with a certain someone…" She said rather quietly, trying not to hurt their pride. But Joseph, Chris and Forest looked at her with that exact look._

"_Aw man, seriously?" Joseph gasped, his bottom lip quivering as he went on, "Jill that hurts! Look, you've made Kenneth upset!"_

_Kenneth looked at Joseph oddly as he grabbed the man mentioned, moving him forward for Jill to see. "What? I'm not upset."_

"_You're __**upset**__." Joseph repeated, digging his fingers into Kenneth's shoulders._

"_I'm upset Jill, very upset!"_

_Jill bit her bottom lip, trying her best not to laugh. A quiet giggle escaped, though, and she knew it was basically no use. "That's cause some jackarse is digging his nails into you!"_

"_The main point is I'm upset…" Kenneth stated, before Joseph moved him out of the way._

"_You're lucky Brad's in the bathroom, or he'd be crying in the corner!" Forest stated, quite sure that such would be true. And it probably would be, poor Chickenheart. "Buuut back to it I guess? Where's this Fella, Valentine?"_

"_Not anywhere you can seee~." She partially sung, pointing off down the cinema hall. "He's already gone in, and unless you're seeing the same thing, it doesn't look like you boys will be threatening him anytime soon."_

"_Ohhh this enigma, we'll never see him!" Joseph laughed, no-one seeming to notice Chris' tensed body. Oh, he had to keep a good hold over himself and just keep on practicing what he had been saying to himself. To the back of his mind, all of it to the back of his mind…_

"_Ah, can it Joseph!" Jill snapped, though was chuckling as she did. She froze for a moment, hearing what sounded like a run of music. "Shit, I swear I can hear my movie starting. Shut that mouth of yours or someone's gonna throw jaffas at you during the movie."_

"_Hm… Maybe that'll save us some money on buying food." Joseph said, thinking it over. He punched his palm, grinning quite wide. Yes, yes that was a brilliant idea!_

"_I'm not letting my head be a target!" Forest stated, covering the back of his head. He had been hit by Jaffas before and could have sworn he suffered a concussion. No way was he risking it again._

"_But I drew up the bullseye and everything!" Joseph whined, turning to Redfield, "Chris?"_

"_Hey what the hell, get the tape!" Chris cheered, high-fiving with Joseph as they'd come to that conclusion, quite happy about the thought of free confectionary items._

"_Oh my gosh, I can't believe you're actually going to bother with it…" Jill laughed, torn between staying for a few more laughs or joining her date. Surprisingly it was actually quite hard for her to choose – She very much liked the thought of both. "And I'm not going to be there to see it!"_

"_Don't worry, with the phone on I'm sure I'll be able to tape it." Joseph said, giving her a thumbs up. And knowing him, he probably would go as far as to try, and probably get kicked out. That was Joseph Frost for you._

"_You know there's a second movie on…" Chris mentioned, grabbing Jill's attention once more. "One of those nice gorey one's you'd like. First one's long and draggin', maybe you wanna catch the second flick with us? I can pay for ya."_

_She couldn't help but smile at his offer – It was nice enough, but just the genuine niceness in his voice made it all the more sweet. Damn, she wished she could accept the offer, she really did._

"_Thanks Chris, but… I'm going to have to pass. Sorry, but if I can take your offer up… I'll call half way through the movie." Jill said, feeling a little bad. He gave a smile nod, while Joseph and Forest began planning the abuse of the man in order to get the jaffas. Jill bid the group fair well, heading off to her destination._

_She remembered a time when they'd all sat down and watched Friday the Thirteenth. They just couldn't make it through without cracking a few jokes. If she could remember correctly – perhaps it wasn't the first movie? – A very tense point of a camper instructor or whoever it was in one of the cabins. They were just waiting for something to happen, for a blood curdling scream, anything. Then all of a sudden Chris had cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, 'Hit him with the teapot, love!'._

_Now ever time she watched a thriller, slasher or general horror movie, she couldn't keep a straight face. Especially if she saw a teapot hanging around._

_A quick glance over the seats and she found him, sitting in a near vacant row of seats, waiting patiently for her. Quietly, she snuck down the aisle, trying not to block the view of anyone watching the movie. She had missed maybe ten minutes or so with the chatter, but hopefully not much._

_She settled down next to him, instantly feeling quite comfortable. He greeted her with a smile, just seen from the light of the screen. He paused for am oment, raising a brow. "You didn't get anything?"_

"_No, sorry," she quickly apologized. "The lines were quite long and the staff were slow. I heard the movie starting, didn't want to miss it."_

"_That's fine, fine… But, what happened to your hat?" He quizzed._

"_Hat? I wasn't wearing a hat, Justin."_

* * *

_Alright. Perhaps Jill was one that rushed things in some sort of sense when it came to relationships. But she had been alone for that long she figured there was little regret that could come of a few rushed things._

"_So, are you planning on coming back?" She stretched as she asked, holding the sheets over herself with one hand as she did. A good night's sleep, a __**very**__ good night's sleep, she had to admit to that. It had just been far, far too long. One could very easily assume what had gone on after the mere second date. She couldn't help but try to picture the faces of the guys if they were to ever find out. It would be hilarious._

_She watched this new lover of hers get out of bed, retrieving some fresh clothes and getting dressed in haste. Jill quite quickly assumed that he had let himself sleep in, causing him to be late for work. Partially, she quite appreciated that small sacrifice._

"_I'd be mad if I didn't." He answered as he buttoned up his shirt, leaning over to give her a quick kiss – One which she was nice enough not to pull away from. "You can leave whenever you want, alright?"_

"_Maybe I won't leave." She stated smugly, pulling the sheets over her head as he left, chuckling somewhat at her reply. She listened for the doors, closing and locking before moving the sheet away. She couldn't get the smile to leave her face, which was very odd for her, especially in the morning._

"_I might just be happy here…"_

_

* * *

_

_She got to work without too much of a hassle, despite her reluctance to leave, though the spring in her step only seemed to increase more with the time she was spending with her new significant other. Although it was noticed, no-one seemed to want to pry, just incase it should sway her mood. Everyone liked her happy – With the exception of Wesker, who didn't give a damn one way or the other._

_When lunch rolled around, she retreated to the rarely occupied kitchen – The one that Joseph had been stocking himself in secret. Anything ad everything in there was fresher than what they could get with the usual catering. _

_She had just set about cutting up a few bits of fruit, not wanting to waste too much time putting something big together. Her break wasn't that long, after all, and Wesker probably wouldn't except bribes of the sugary kinds._

_Finished with the banana slices, something that reminded her of her childhood, she'd set to cut up an apple with a cheeriness that she knew wasn't hers, but chose to ignore._

"_You certainly seem happy lately."_

_Jill quickly glanced to the door, the knife hovering just above the apple's skin. She saw nothing, and jolted as she heard the room's fridge door open. She swiftly looked in the required direction, catching a glimpse of Richard's signature colour._

_She couldn't help but smirk when, oddly enough, he placed a few oranges on the counter beside her. He ducked around the draws for a moment, not muttering another word, just hunting for a second chopping board._

"_Mhm, is that surprising?" She quizzed, easing now that she realised who had snapped her from her thoughts. Her own chopping board gave a light 'thump' sound as the knife sliced through the poor red fruit, flipping half over as she waited for a answer._

_He dropped a knife and the board he had finally come across beside his own selection, continuing to avoid answering for awhile. Whether this was due to taking time of registering Jill's statement, or something else, Jill didn't know._

"_Well, Lately," He began, steadying too free moving oranges on the chopping board and steadying his knife, "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't, at least just a little bit."_

_Jill looked at him curiously, but seemed to know he planned to say more than just that. She rested her knife down, the remaining apple no doubt praising a deity for its luck. _

_Richard chuckled softly, shaking his head before looking at Jill. "Sorry, that must have sounded rude! No harm meant, Jill. What I meant to say, more of is… It's just nice to see you happy again."_

"_Again?"_

_He hummed a 'yes' while getting back to his chopping. Curious, Jill listened as he went on, feeling the atmosphere better than if someone had pulled her to the side of the corridor and decided to talk to her about her change in attitude._

"_You're an odd one," He stated, "When you first joined the teams, I thought you were just using it as a ploy and were really there to try and assassinate us. But then you chirped up, softened up… At least with us. And lately, you've been… Sinking back into old habits, I could say? We thought we had done something to piss you off."_

"_How so, might I ask?"_

"_Well, you've been pretty cold to us lately," He answered, pausing for a moment, "… Even Chris. Like people you didn't trust or want to know. That shell of yours was back up something fierce."_

_Jill snorted at this, though did feel a slither of guilt. The last thing she had been meaning to do was push away the people that had worked so very hard to befriend her in the first place. She mumbled a quiet apology, hoping that Richard wouldn't actually hear it._

"_What are you apologizing about?" He smiled, Jill cursing inwards, "You're back to being a Happy Chappy here, so we can't really complain, can we?"_

"_Not unless you want a broken jaw."_

_Thankfully Richard was able to see the full humour in the statement, laughing heartily and giving her a pat on the back. "That's the spirit!"_

_She took this time to look at what Richard had been preparing. Nothing interesting, though a little odd. It would appear he'd gone through chopping up four full oranges. She looked up at him, an eyebrow quirked._

"_That's… A lot of oranges." She stated slowly, as if calling out how absurd it was. Richard shrugged in reply, dealing one last slice to a quarter of an orange, tossing the knife into the sink and moving the chopped fruit into a bowl._

"_I like oranges…?" He stated. "Oranges are pretty much great. But like all things, as nice as they are, there's always gotta be those little problems with them. They're so acidic, and other than that…"_

_He paused, muttering quietly as he picked a pip from one of them, flicking it off carelessly somewhere else. "It's sad when you find an orange that just looks really, really nice, only to peel it, bite into it and find it riddled with sees. Such a shame, puts you off, and usually for a good reason." He picked the next slice at random, holding it up to the light to spy for any unpleasant residents within it, "Ah, this one's better. Not a problem at all. Well, I'll see you back at the office."_

"_Uhm… Bye, Richard." She could only give a slight wave as he left, humming a tune under his breath. She couldn't help but feel a little unnerved by Richard's analogy._

_Richard reached the office in not too long, setting his bowl on his desk before slinking by Chris desk, leaning in to tell the man something quietly._

"_I think you might have let her fly away." He voice was sincere, perhaps carrying a hint of pity with it. He was not met with the same emotion, Chris seeming more than a little on edge after the statement. A pencil he had been holding suffered the nasty fate of being snapped in half, only for both halves to be snapped into quarters._

"_As if you're an expert on this." He growled lowly, immediately feeling guilt for the attitude taken up against his kind friend._

"_I'm engaged, Chris. I think I have some idea." Richard stated, patting the man on his shoulder as he raised a hand to his eyes._

"… _Touché, Richard, Touché…" _

* * *

_Chris received a rude reminder of his partner's presence in the building – a wedge of apple being shoved in his mouth after turning his attention to a tap on the shoulder._

_Other than that, she offered him a smug grin while he chewed what had been forced upon him slowly, giving the woman a stern glare. No sooner had he swallowed the offending piece of food did Jill shove another into his mouth._

_Oh, he was onto her now. She was doing this on purpose. Other than her hand forcing the sweet fruit into his mouth, that grin of hers gave away the fact she was just trying to annoy him and get some sort of response. He grabbed her hand when she tried to repeat the action for a third time, much to her dismay._

_She ruffled his hair with a free hand, laughing as he grunted in protest and sulked, sinking back into his chair._

_Try as she might, she never really managed to rile Chris up enough to make him pissed off. Which upset her quite a bit – She wanted to see his temper again for herself. Redfield had a great amount of control over himself, but she had once spied him fly off the handles because of something an RPD officer did. She couldn't for the life of her remember what it was about, but every time she thought back to it, it would fill her with a spark of excitement. Just something about that 'Redfield Flare'._

_But that was something for another place, another time. If she kept it up he might turn drama king on her and leave in a mock temper tantrum._

"_So how are you today?" She asked, standing behind him – Which he did not allow her to do without watching her carefully – and snaking her arms around his neck, looking at what was on his desk. Papers, pen, CDs, so many miscellaneous things thrown about carelessly in the manner that was just so… Chris. Nothing seemed to have a place, yet he knew exactly where everything was – Unless Wesker wanted it then and there._

_She moved an arm from around him, tapping a few things on the desk, mainly the few picture frames she had never taken much notice of before. A photo of his younger sister that she had only meet once or twice – A girl suitable as his younger sibling, displaying the same flare that must have been in their genetic makeup._

_She tapped another frame close to it, a little taken aback by what she saw set within the silver frame. "You never told me your surf."_

"_I do whenever I get down by a beach," Chris shrugged, shifting Jill's weight a bit as he did. He paused, before smirking slyly as he often did when talking with Valentine, "Maybe I should take you down with me next time and show you what I've got."_

"_Hmm… He surfs sometimes, too."_

_His smirk dropped to a frown straight away. Chris immediately knew who Jill meant by this. She never mentioned his name, as if he were her own private secret. The thought of this caused Chris to clench his teeth, before managing to shake the awkward feelings off. He would just have to push these sorts of thing to the back of his mind, as far possible. His thoughts simply were… Not, right._

_And with that he closed up just the smallest part of himself from his dear Jill Valentine._

"_What up with you?" She asked in jest, poking his shoulder. "Aww, Honey, don't tell me you're jealous just because I can keep a man down and you can't?"_

"_Let it be known I don't have interest in other men's cocks." He stated bluntly, barely any of the regular humour in his voice. Regardless, Jill laughed at the forwardness of his statement, easing her weight off him and crossing her arms._

_She mumbled something next, that some how felt a little out of place, yet spoken with experience. "That's the thing with men. When they want you they don't care what the other guys say about you. When they have you, they want you to be as pure as snow."_

"_Partial props to Tales from the Crypt?" Chris quizzed._

"_It was my favourite episode. There's just something about lumberjacks, mmm…" She purred, before seeming to talk directly to herself again, the topic Chris rathered not to hear. "I don't know, but he just doesn't seem that way…"_

_Chris seethed quietly, fingers digging into his desk as he tried to push everything to the back of his mind. He could forget about all of it, he could forgive what there was to forgive… He just had to do it long enough. If only she would just stop __**talking about him.**_

_

* * *

_

_Work had ended, and consequence, so had another date after her shift._

_She couldn't remember the last time anyone other than her friends had paid so much attention to her. It was a need she had hidden away, but now that it was finally being tended to, she craved for it to continue._

_Another night, another night out, another night to change her mind about what she thought of people. Another single night to spend with someone she didn't see practically every day at the work place._

_The night had gone nicely, as it had all the other nights. Out on the pavement she sat, with Justin of course, just taking in the night before they would most likely leave to either's apartment – That hadn't quite been decided yet._

_But both parties seemed happy enough just to sit in the near darkness, the limited light around them just making things feel more serene. It was just so quiet, except for a few passing cars, which seemed like such a blessing._

_Then a slight whimper, clearly from something not human. Last time Jill checked, neither Justin or herself were much of people to 'whine' for whatever reason._

_Both of them glanced to the side, seeing a dog of some sort. It looked a little worse for wear, sad looking. Jill recognized it to be a German Shepherd, a cross perhaps, and it just continued to look up at the woman with dull eyes, rubbing it's head against the side of her hand._

_She gave the dog a small scratch under the chin, before stroking the side of its face. She couldn't hear Justin's spat of disgust at the creature, who seemed to be lapping up whatever affection it could get._

"_Gah, get out of here, dammit!" He nudged the dog hard with his foot, causing the poor thing to whine once more. It looked pitifully at Jill, before sulking off, not wanting to earn another kicking._

"_He wasn't bothering me." Jill stated calmly, drawing her hand she to her chest. Her eyes showed a hint of a hurt emotion. "You really didn't need to do that. He just wanted to say hello."_

_Justin shook his head, looking somewhat bitter about it. "It was just a mutt; they're nothing but flea bags. If it's lasted this long he'll be fine."_

"_Not a fan of animals, then?" She sighed, looking down at the pavement._

"… _Not really. Just, mongrels half of the time." He said, a bit confused by her downed expression. "Ah, I'm sorry Jill… I stayed with my cousins when I was younger and they just kept bringing animals off the street every day. Put me off since."_

"_Is that so?" Jill thought over that excuse, some how not finding it truly valid. Herself and her family had constantly been bring animals in off the street… Much to her father's dismay. It had only strengthened her love for the furry, scaled and feathered. "Well, that's a pip."_

"_A what?"_

"_Oh, uh." Jill hesitated for a moment, smiling as soon as she caught herself out about it. She had let that slip, since she knew the man would have no idea what she was thinking about. "Inside joke between a mate of mine. He's odd."_

_The expression Justin gave about one of Jill's male friends was less than welcomed, especially when it was about Richard of all men. "… Don't pull that face." She warned quietly, narrowing her gaze._

"_Sorry, sorry…"_

_

* * *

_

"_Do you love me?"_

_The question had come out of nowhere. Justin had asked this of Jill a few hours after returning back to her apartment. The night had ended how she considered it usually did, and she caught herself quickly wondering what had urged the man to ask such a question._

_By all means, they usually just talked for a bit or dozed off after awhile._

_She's stared at him, wide eyed as he asked, lips parted slightly. Those brown eyes of his looked back, seeming somewhat hurt by her lack of an answer._

_Oh it had been some time since. Things were steady, as it would be in most anyone's relationships. Even if it was getting somewhat hard to work around both of their working times. But Justin put in the effort, and so did Jill – Occasionally sneaking out of work while bribing one of the others to cover for her._

"_Justin, I…" She'd begun, only to feel Justin's finger link with hers, holding on tightly. She shifted, sheets moving a fraction along with her as she did so, edging closer to him just a little._

_She licked her bottom lip. She knew most people usually asked that before doing anything the two had done, that usually this wouldn't considered as the normal timeline of a relationship. But perhaps he had understood her well enough, in the amount of time, that she was cautious. Aware those feelings for people were rarely something that actually played on her mind, something that rarely hindered her. Sex was one thing, feelings however…_

_She smiled faintly, leaning her head on his shoulder and enjoying his hold of her hand. She closed her eyes, feeling herself become ever so comfortable with what was around her as she did so._

"… _Yeah, I love you Justin…"_

* * *

Jill jolted awake, quickly gasping for air. She had no idea why the whole thing had frightened her so horribly, like those little night terrors that you laugh at when you finally wake up properly.

She would laugh later, maybe, but for now she couldn't stop herself from shaking. It was all memories, nothing but, yet it terrified her. She continued to suck in the air greedily, finding something better about it than the oxygen provided in her sleeping state. It seemed less bland, less stale, some how more alive and welcoming.

It didn't take her long to realise why this was so. She took in one last deep breath, concentrating on the scent more this time, before cuddling up to the sleeping figure that held her. The smell of aftershave, sweat, and cigarettes. No cologne – Some how that was just so welcoming, so human and… Real.

She glanced up at Chris, who looked as if he was sleeping quite peacefully. She was more than thankful not to have woken him, not wanting to hear him question her about whether she was okay, what was wrong, if there was anything he could do. The concern he showed tore her up slowly, and just thinking about it now made her burrow her face against his chest, wanting to block it out.

"How did it ever get to be like this…?"

She didn't know whether what she said was bitter, or sorrowful… Haunting, spiteful. She just wanted to close up and get it all out of her system, something that seemed rather difficult when she was pressed against a man she tried so hard to hide her feelings from.

Her fingers tightened around the shirt he wore, the one that held his scent so well. She let her judgement fail for a few moments, letting slip something she would never ask while fully awake unless asked with a mock spin to it.

"Chris, do you love me…?"

Although quite restless doing so, she managed to finally drift to sleep, a mixture of both comfort and discomfort. Somehow her sleep became quite heavy, that which she no doubt would have been thankful for, not wishing to open her eyes for some hours.

A good half hour passed before Chris opened his eyes, taking a peek at her. She could be forgiven about forgetting, but it was fact that unless he was snoring, he probably wasn't asleep – And he certain hadn't been when she had awoken.

It had worried him to no end, but at the hour of the morning it was, it seemed cruel to panic her further about whatever had startled her back to the living world. While what she had murmured first confused him greatly, the last sentence caused a stir in his heart.

He breathed quietly, rubbing gentle circles over her back with a flat palm. She moved slightly, not out of fuss by this, but in her sleep seeing to accept the action near lovingly. Oh, how he could have gotten used to this, if she would let him… If there were just the slightest chance in hell. How she must have been hurting…

He looked over her once more, taking not of the sweat she must have broken out in mid nightmare. He didn't mind this in the slightest, just wanting to comfort her about whatever plagued her dreams. But all he could do was watch her, and be there if it were what she requested.

Maybe just a quick kiss… No, what was he thinking? He couldn't do that, not to her, not while she was sleeping. He'd feel rotten about it in the morning if he did something like that. He paused for a moment, considering this. He would have shaken his head, but feared it would have woken her.

Fuck it. He would simply hate himself more if he passed it up. The worst he could get was a slap and a cold shoulder for a few weeks. A grudge was something she just couldn't hold against him, and he knew that, too.

Half hesitantly, he pressed his lips against hers, savouring the minimal time he allowed himself to do so before pulling away. Cautious not to cause too much movement, he gently brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear, giving him a clear gaze of her as she slept. Even if she woke up now, he wouldn't regret it in the slightest.

"… Yeah." He whispered quietly, as if she could hear the answer he continued with, "More than you could ever imagine…"

_**Come close, and I will carry you,  
Come close, in my arms.**_

* * *

A/N;

Oh my god I'm such a suck =| And yes, lyrics at the end. Yay failage.

If you haven't watched Tales From The Crypt by now, shame on you.

Also. 'Do You Love Me?' by Mademoiselle. I don't think there's ever been a song I've wanted Chris to sing to Jill more lol. And I don't know whyyyy.


End file.
